This is in reference to the news item that “Heritage lends support to Carmona locals to preserve Gavona lake”. It is heartening to note that a person of the caliber of Prajal Sakhardande make this statement without highlighting the drawbacks of the development and without giving any suggestions as to how the development should have been undertaken.
I wonder whether Prajal has visited the site to personally to verify for himself of what the opposing group is aggrieved at. The lake in question is situated in a corner of paddy fields which was disilted in the previous year and the base and embankments consists of white loose sand which is very fragile and easily collapsible when the cattle and other animals like pigs of the locality move around. As a result the easmentary water ways are all blocked. The paddy fields in question belong to the communidade of Carmona which are not cultivated for past many decades by the tenants who claim to be owners and since liberation no one ever took any pains to maintain the lake and the so called heritage.
As per gram sabha resolution the Panchayat forwarded the proposal of development of this lake to the WRD department who in turn tendered and started the works. Since the sand is loose and easily collapsible the department engineers who are technically competent directed the contractor to use PCC at the bottom and after putting two layers of rubble pitching, again put a fine layer of PCC to hold the rubbles from falling down. If this method adopted is faulty and is dangerous for the sustainability of the flora and fauna, I wish to ask Prajal when the lake dries up with absolutely no water how the flora and fauna can exist. During past four years V. P. Carmona disilted almost all the ponds and lakes within its jurisdiction with a mission to harvest rain water and raise ground water levels and restore the so-called heritage.
Today after the desilting, the lake is full of different colored lotus flowers and has become a tourist attraction. There were also plans to put steps on the roadside of the lake to provide opportunity for Ganesh immersions and for other use along with benches to sit. I would appreciate if Prajal could come to the Carmona Panchayat office to give suggestions and have discussion with the elected members and the WRD Engineers rather than supporting disgruntled elements who are only interested in hogging limelight’s through media for ulterior motives.
