Pandhrabodi Lake Revival Bid On, Volunteers Remove 500kg Waste

Nagpur: Once a thriving urban waterbody, Pandhrabodi Lake has shrunk to little more than a pond after years of encroachment, indiscriminate littering and unchecked waste dumping.

To revive the neglected lake, city-based volunteer group ‘Nagpur Ploggers’ recently launched its ‘Mission Save Pandhrabodi Lake’, with around 100 citizens participating during the clean-up drive.In the first phase of the campaign, volunteers removed over 500kg of plastic, garbage and other forms of waste from the lake premises, underscoring both the deteriorating condition of the waterbody and the growing willingness of citizens to join conservation efforts.Speaking to TOI, Nagpur Ploggers’ Suraj Shrivastava said the lake has continued to deteriorate despite earlier restoration attempts.“Pandhrabodi Lake is dying. Though the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has undertaken restoration efforts in the past, the problem persists. Around 80 to 100 volunteers participated in the recently held drive. Our first priority is clearing the enormous amount of waste, as the lake has virtually turned into a dumping yard.

Plastic litter is scattered everywhere,” he said.Shrivastava said the NMC supported the drive by providing gunny bags and gloves for volunteers.He added that the campaign would continue over the coming weeks to encourage wider public participation.“There are several issues affecting this lake, and as responsible citizens we want to do our part to preserve it. We expect even more people to join us in the next phase of the drive and contribute to the clean-up,” he said.Shrivastava also attributed the lake’s ecological decline to the loss of its natural rainwater inflows because of urban development as well as encroachments.“The lake has been reduced to barely a pond. Earlier, rainwater from surrounding areas replenished it, but those natural channels have disappeared over time,” Shrivastava further added.Besides removing accumulated waste, the campaign also aims to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect Nagpur’s rapidly disappearing urban lakes through sustained citizen participation and long-term conservation efforts.(Inputs by Avani Jog)