Mumbai: Govt will hand over Lokhandwala lake to builders, says Aaditya Thackeray

The lake in Lokhandwala, Andheri, where birds such as the purple swamphen, garganey duck and coppersmith barbet can be spotted

After mid-day highlighted the fact that Andheri's Lokhandwala lake - a crucial site for migratory bird species - has yet to be declared a protected area by the forest department, Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA and former environment minister, accused the government of neglecting the water body and potentially handing it over to builders. He also vowed to protect it under the Indian Forest Act.

Thackeray posted on Monday, "Surprised to see the Forest Ministry to not have taken this ahead. In June 2022, days before our govt was toppled, I had asked the @MangroveForest to take this over, in its protection. This regime has ignored it and will slowly hand it to builders. We promise to protect this lake, under the Indian Forest Act, when back in government soon (sic)."

File Pic/Ashish Raje

The June 10 report of mid-day asked whether the forest department had abandoned the plan to grant protection status to the lake, a crucial site for migratory bird species. The report also mentioned how Thackeray, as the then-environment minister, had, in June 2022, instructed the Mangrove Cell of the forest department to declare the spot a forest. mid-day had reported on the development at the time (‘Forest tag for Lokhandwala lake, nature lovers rejoice'), shedding light on how it was a big victory for bird and nature lovers fighting.

Birds such as the purple swamphen, garganey duck, coppersmith barbet, white-throated kingfisher, black kite, rose-ringed parakeet, spot-billed duck, Indian pond heron, black drongo, common myna, cattle egret and red-vented bulbul, among others, are found around the lake.

Resident Speak

For more than 25 years, Lokhandwala residents have been trying to protect the lake, but over the years, debris has been dumped into the water body and the road near it. According to nature lovers, this is one of the reasons why the lake starts drying up by the end of May/early June every year.

The lake in Lokhandwala, Andheri

"We are very happy to see Thackeray's support for the cause and we can't wait for his government to return to power as by then irreparable damage will be done. I request Thackeray to take urgent steps in this regard," said Lokhandwala resident Avneet Jotwani.

Another local, Mahua Dutta, said, "We would like to thank you, Aaditya-ji, for backing the protection of Lokhandwala lake. We would request you to please get it sanctioned as a forest on a war footing as it's under attack on several fronts."