From dumping grounds to recreational sites, 20 Thane lakes get facelift……Nitya Kaushik

Mumbai could learn a lesson or two from this: 20 dying fresh water lakes in Thane have got a new lease of life, after the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) embarked upon a drive for environmental conservation of its lakes.

Funded by the Central Governments Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), the TMCs lake restoration project began as a humble exercise of cleaning the Kachrali lake near the civic head office in 1998, said Manisha Pradhan, the chief officer of the Pollution Control Cell of TMC.

Now, after systematically identifying and studying 20 such small lakes in the city and 15 near Kalwa, Grass Roots, a research and consultancy organisation appointed by TMC, has taken up the work to restore all these water bodies and refurbish its surroundings.

The 20 lakes in Thane city include Masunda, Jail, Ambe-Ghoshale, Kolband, Bramhale, Sideshwar, Makhamali, Kacharali, Hariyali, Railadevi, Upavan, Kavesar/Vadawali, Owale/Naar, Dawle, Bulkum/Rewale, Kolshet, Kalwa, Kharegaon, Kausa and Khidkali.

Beyond Kalwa, lakes like Jogila, Gokulnagar, Phadakepada, Khardi, Daighar, Diva, Dativali, Desai, Khidkaligaon talao, Naar, Devsar, Kavesar, Turbhepada lake, Shivaji Nagar talao-Balkumb and Pandurang Bhoir talao have been identified.

According to Pallavi Latkar, an architect, town planner and environmental researcher, who heads the department at the Centre for Urban Studies, Rachna Sansad Institute of Architecture, the project has been divided into three phases. The first phase includes cleaning and bio-remediation, desilting, identifying nallah outlets and diverting them, while the second phase includes repairing of walls, checking overflow gutters with grid channels, arranging lighting and stepping up vigilance. In Phase 3, landscapes would be created, she said.

Latkar explained, These are all small lakes spread over a maximum area between 0.5 hectares to six hectares. In Thane city, we have already completed 90 per cent of the second phase, including cleaning up and restoring boundaries. We are now looking forward to starting work on the lakes beyond Kalwa as well as building landscaping the surroundings of the city lakes.

According to Pradhan, the MoEF put forth the plan to revive other lakes in the city after Kachrali was restored and developed into a tourist site in 2000. A fund of Rs 2.5 crore was granted for the project.

Initially, we agreed to do a feasibility study on 15 lakes. We also realised that besides dredging and cleaning, it is necessary to address the basic causes of lake contamination, otherwise effluents would continue being flushed into them, Pradhan added. While in the city, main contamination factors are ingress of sewage, garbage and industrial disposal, in rural regions most problems stem out of pesticides and chemical wastes, researchers observed.

Latkar said, In a drought prone region like Thane, restoring lakes can go a long way in maintaining the ground water table. We have been working on this project since 2004 and now, people have actually started to identify several lakes as recreational spots. They are no more the same dumping areas that they used to be. The hyacinth is gone from these lakes, we have aerated and desilted most of them and also added an extra touch in terms of a walkway or benches.

Commending TMC on its initiative to work in tandem with consultants and local bodies, Latkar said, The project has been possible because of the TMCs proactive nature. They have constantly taken an objective look at problems like illegal hawking and slums, thus making it easy for us to think of solutions.

She cited Balkum/Rewale lake as an example, where the TMC officials worked in agreement with the nearby SRA residents while restoring boundary walls. The residents wanted an open lake view. So after brainstorming, we decided to raise the walls on three sides and install a cement grille on one side that faces the buildings, she explained.