Proper
maintenance of holding ponds is absolutely necessary
By Dinesh
Kamath
NAVI MUMBAI: How secure are the lakes in
Navi Mumbai and are they well guarded by security men? People are interested in
those lakes where fishing and boating are permitted. Navi Mumbai Municipal
Corporation had permitted fishing in lakes covering area of one hectare. May
residents suggested that they lease out some lakes to derive profit.
The lake in sector 19, Koparkhairane and Rajiv Gandhi
lake in Gothivali, spread over 3.24 and 2.04 hectares, are two bigger lakes in
Navi Mumbai and here boating can be real fun. People who love fishing too can
have great time here. But there are many city residents who are of the opinion
that boating should be allowed in all the lakes. But it is difficult to get
tenders for boating in small lakes which are around 20 in number.
According to a resident, deployment of security
guards around these lakes is a must since many children visit the lakes and they
face the danger of getting drowned. Guards who know swimming will be fit for
such places, he added. Otherwise nobody should be allowed to enter the water,
he said.
Since a long time, the civic body has been trying to
come up with perfect method of maintaining the lakes. If these lakes are leased
out to fishermen, they will use their skills in breeding fishes in these lakes.
This Holding Pond in Koparkhairane is one of many
holding ponds in Navi Mumbai, which were created during the formative years of
this satellite city in 1980s. These holding ponds act as a buffer between the
storm water drain and the creek. They help in both storing water and preventing
flooding of water. An architect was of the opinion that combination of park and
holding ponds will prove to be very useful.
When asked about these holding ponds, an expert in this
subject said, “NMMC should ensure that these holding ponds are cleaned from
time to time and if they don’t do that the environment activists should file a
petition in High Court and get the court to force NMMC to clean the ponds. Siltation
and mangrove growth near holding ponds should be prevented since this can
affect the holding capacity of the ponds. De-silting works of all the ponds
should be done at regular intervals. These ponds need to be properly managed
since any kind of negligence can affect the beauty and usefulness of the ponds.
If the ponds are not cleaned it can prove to be hazardous for the entire city.
It is good that civic body comes up with its annual green report which
indicates the exact position of the ponds every year. In case of any kind of
damage in and around these holding ponds, immediate repair work should be
carried out since this will make the place around these ponds flood-free. A
watch should be kept on movement of creek water in and out of the holding ponds
and growth of mangroves in these ponds to keep control over both. Care should
be taken to ensure that holding capacity of these ponds do not get reduced and
for this perfect maintenance of the ponds is necessary. The NMMC had approached
the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) which permitted to clear
of mangroves in the centre of the ponds with the court's permission. Navi
Mumbai city was developed by CIDCO on low lying areas as a result of which the
creek water enters the city during high tide. To avoid flooding, the storm
water management of Navi Mumbai has been planned on the lines of Netherlands,
which is called the Dutch method. The main reason why holding ponds were
constructed was to control flood during heavy rains. But it is not the rain
only which can cause flooding, but not cleaning and maintaining these ponds can
also lead to heavy flooding. If the city authorities make up their minds to
maintain properly all the ponds in Navi Mumbai, it will prove to be a boon to
city residents.”
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