Once a thriving water body spread across nearly 27 acres, Nagpur’s historic Pandharabodi Lake has shrunk to barely six acres after years of encroachments, indiscriminate garbage dumping and unplanned urbanisation. Long regarded as a symbol of the city’s environmental heritage, the lake today stands as a reminder of neglect and ecological degradation.
Determined to reverse its decline, citizens on Sunday launched ‘Mission Save Pandharabodi Lake’, a community-driven initiative aimed at restoring the lake through regular clean-up drives and public participation.
The campaign, spearheaded by Nagpur Ploggers, witnessed the participation of more than 100 volunteers from across the city. Working alongside sanitation staff of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), volunteers collected nearly 500 kg of waste from the lake premises, which was handed over to the civic body for scientific disposal.
The drive brought together several organisations, including Red Swastik Society, Agrowet, Eco Friendly Organisation, Anacon Laboratories, Isha Foundation, residents of Bajiprabhu Nagar and Sanjay Nagar, Vijayeeni Sakhi Manch, the Tennis Academy Association (Bajiprabhu Nagar), and other environmental groups and concerned citizens.
Nagpur Ploggers announced that clean-up and awareness drives will now be organised every Sunday at 7 am until the lake is restored. The initiative also seeks support from educational institutions, industries, NGOs, youth groups and corporate organisations to transform the campaign into a citywide environmental movement.
Veteran environmentalist Baba Deshpande said, “Cities survive on their natural assets. If we allow our lakes to disappear, we are destroying our own future. Pandharabodi’s revival should become a model of citizen-led conservation.”
Water conservation activist Pravin Dabli, who played a key role in reviving the historic wells of Motibagh, said the success of that initiative demonstrated the power of community participation. “When citizens take ownership of neglected water bodies, remarkable transformation is possible. Pandharabodi Lake too can regain its lost glory through sustained community participation and scientific restoration,” he said.
The volunteers concluded the campaign by taking a collective pledge to restore Pandharabodi Lake to its former glory, reaffirming their commitment to protecting the city’s water bodies for a healthier and more water-secure future.
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