NMC okays fishing in Gandhisagar Lake

NAGPUR:The Central government’s ambitious project to rejuvenate the Gandhisagar Lake is likely to bite the dust as the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is planning to start fishing at the water body.
The NMC standing committee on Tuesday gave its nod to fishing in the lake for the next three years. Though the move will fetch the cash strapped civic body Rs31.99 lakh revenue, it will defeat the rejuvenation project to save the city’s centrally located lake.
The standing committee members, led by chairman Ramesh Shingare, gave the garden department nod to allow M/s Durga Karnuke fishing in this lake. Earlier, the administration has shortlisted another contractor but when the firm refused to take over the contract, its earnest money of Rs25,000 was seized, said Shingare.
The Central government had approved rejuvenation and beautification of Gandhisagar Lake, along with Sonegaon Lake, on March 17, 2010, under the State Lakes Conservation Plan (SLCP). Project of Rs1.78 crore was okayed for the lake. Rs75 lakh was also sanctioned immediately for executing the works.
The move drew severe criticism from green activists. According to them, rejuvenation of the lake is supposed to revive ecosystem of this water body. But, allowing fishing will actually defeat the purpose, they pointed out.
Other proposal that came up during the meeting included handing over crematoriums to private bodies. But, the panel members foiled the health department’s attempt to handover city’s crematoriums to NGOs, private firms and individuals for its maintenance.
The health department had submitted a proposal in this regard before the standing committee to allow them to maintain city’s 12 crematoriums. Instead of giving its nod, the standing committee forwarded the proposal to the general body.
According to Shingare, there have allegations of corruption regarding the ghats. “We felt that it is a policy decision so we have asked the administration to submit the proposal before the general body,” he said.
The panel also gave its nod to the administration’s proposal to allot 108 platforms at state-of-the-art Mangalwari fish market. However, the standing committee chairman was given power to allot four shops there.
OTHER PROPOSALS
* One-year extension of Mesco’s contract to provide security guards to NMC
* Asphaltation of roads (in Raghuji Nagar, in Laxmi Nagar and Ramdaspeth)
* Permission to invite tenders for procurement of 24,000 litres of ML Oil (worth Rs39.60 lakh) to prevent increase in mosquito density in the corporation limits