SC approves development of two new wetlands near Ajmer
Jaipur: The Supreme Court has given its approval to the Rajasthan govt's comprehensive proposal for developing two new wetlands, spanning a total area of 22 hectares, near Ajmer.
The decision came on Friday as part of the ongoing Ashok Malik case, which addresses environmental concerns surrounding the
Ana Sagar Lake
.
The proposed wetlands will be developed at two locations: a 12-hectare site at Foy Sagar (Varun Sagar) Extension near Hathi-Khera and a 10-hectare site at Tabiji-1. Both locations will be situated outside the Ana Sagar Lake's catchment boundary.
The ruling follows a previous mandate from the
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) that ordered the removal of several structures, including a replica of the Seven Wonders, a food court and Gandhi Smriti Udhyan/Aazad Park, from the green zones surrounding the Ana Sagar Lake.
The state govt emphasized the importance of maintaining existing lakeside walkways and argued that Gandhi Smriti Udhyan does not fall within Ana Sagar's wetland boundaries, so these should not be demolished. The total area of concern is approximately 4.9 hectares.
Considering the govt arguments, the division bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjwal Bhuiyan ordered the demolition of the Seven Wonders replica and food court near Ana Sagar Lake by Sept 17, but permitted the retention of existing lakeside walkways and the Gandhi Smriti Udhyan.
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The decision follows a comprehensive environmental assessment conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), appointed by the Ajmer Municipal Corporation. "Multidisciplinary teams from NEERI and CSIR conducted three extensive field visits, involving experts in various environmental disciplines," said Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma, who represented the state, along with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
NEERI's recommendations include detailed implementation steps such as excavation work, native species plantation and regular monitoring of water and sediment quality. The institute has also advised conducting biodiversity assessments during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.
This development comes in response to the Supreme Court's earlier order on April 7, which had directed the state govt to submit a detailed plan for new wetland development and the removal of existing structures around the Ana Sagar Lake.
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