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State Government | Maharashtra - India | PID: 189183
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In a move to boost the recreation facilities in the city, nearly 34 lakes across are likely to get facelift by the end of the year. The corporation has allocated a budget of Rs 35 crore for the project, said
a Thane municipal corporation official.Civic chief Sanjeev Jaiswal has directed the public works and pollution control departments to chalk out a plan and to begin work soon. The makeover will be executed in three phases and will be completed by December.
In the first phase, Kachrali, Kolbad, Jail, Makmali and Siddheswar lakes will be taken up; while in the next phase, 16 lakes will be beautified. In the third phase, 13 lakes will be developed. Officials said that the project will include constructing boundary walls, seating facility, adequate lighting and aereators will be
installed to ensure that the water quality is good.
Meanwhile, activists have questioned the beautification work done in the
last few years. They have claimed that crores of money has been spent for the upkeep of the lakes every year but there is no visible impact.
They also raised the issue of rampant concretisation along the lakes that have come up under the name of beautification and makeover. This, the activists feel, can cause a massive damage to the water bodies.
“One of the main work undertaken during the makeover is to replace the soil and construct a periphery around the water body. This is a faulty process as concretising the lake walls will damage these water bodies.
Cement walls has already plugged natural springs in some lakes and has turned them into ponds. They also require more maintenance,” said
Vidyadhar Walawalkar, environment activist from Thane. Nitin Deshpande, another activist said “Most of these lakes have witnessed makeover plans at frequent intervals. This is just a way to waste tax payer’s money. There seems to be no accountability of the work being carried out,” said Deshpande. However, officials have dismissed these claims. They said that no damage has been done to the water bodies. The officials failed to share details of the beautification works to be undertaken at each of these lakes.
In the first phase, Kachrali, Kolbad, Jail, Makmali and Siddheswar lakes will be taken up; while in the second phase, 16 lakes will be beautified. In the third phase, 13 lakes will be developed
| Updated on: 06 - Jun - 2019
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