The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has appointed a new four member committee to assess the present status of the world famous Lonar crater and submit it's recommendations within four weeks to the court. The court disbanded the earlier committee it had named due to lack of coordination among the members.
The court constituted the committee while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed for protection and conservation of the crater which is on the verge of being reduced to a sewage puddle. The bench of Justice Sharad Bobde and Justice Arun Chaudhari announced a new committee after obtaining the observations and recommendation from earlier committee.
The new committee would now be headed by former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) B K Singh and will have members from old committee Ram Malu, an academician, and Nishikant Mukherjee, an expert on craters and principal of R A Science College, Washim, besides the sub-divisional officer of Mehkar.
The earlier committee, besides Malu and Mukherjee, had Rajendra Dhongde, retired assistant conservator of forest. The committee was to work in coordination with Buldana district collector and the report too was to be sent to the court through the collector. But one of the members wrote to the court that the collector was not cooperating. The court was submitted with only the interim report prepared by two members.
Anand Parchure, who is pleading the PIL, told TOI that the court expressed displeasure on the failure of committee to work cohesively and nominated another. The court, however, agreed to take the observations and recommendations of earlier committee also into consideration. The PIL was filed last year seeking intervention of judiciary for protection of this spectacular lake. The crater was formed due to a meteorite hit 52-60,000 years ago. Various temples were built along the lake in the crater over centuries.
Human intervention, especially in last 2-3 decades, has not just spoilt the serenity of the lake and forest but also ruined the ancient temples. Bathing and washing in Gaimukh Dhara, a perennial spring and Sitanahani and discharge of entire sewage of Lonar town into the lake has polluted it. Agriculture in periphery of lake too is polluted it.
The court constituted the committee while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) filed for protection and conservation of the crater which is on the verge of being reduced to a sewage puddle. The bench of Justice Sharad Bobde and Justice Arun Chaudhari announced a new committee after obtaining the observations and recommendation from earlier committee.
The new committee would now be headed by former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) B K Singh and will have members from old committee Ram Malu, an academician, and Nishikant Mukherjee, an expert on craters and principal of R A Science College, Washim, besides the sub-divisional officer of Mehkar.
The earlier committee, besides Malu and Mukherjee, had Rajendra Dhongde, retired assistant conservator of forest. The committee was to work in coordination with Buldana district collector and the report too was to be sent to the court through the collector. But one of the members wrote to the court that the collector was not cooperating. The court was submitted with only the interim report prepared by two members.
Anand Parchure, who is pleading the PIL, told TOI that the court expressed displeasure on the failure of committee to work cohesively and nominated another. The court, however, agreed to take the observations and recommendations of earlier committee also into consideration. The PIL was filed last year seeking intervention of judiciary for protection of this spectacular lake. The crater was formed due to a meteorite hit 52-60,000 years ago. Various temples were built along the lake in the crater over centuries.
Human intervention, especially in last 2-3 decades, has not just spoilt the serenity of the lake and forest but also ruined the ancient temples. Bathing and washing in Gaimukh Dhara, a perennial spring and Sitanahani and discharge of entire sewage of Lonar town into the lake has polluted it. Agriculture in periphery of lake too is polluted it.
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