- This topic has 10 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 3 months ago by
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UThere’s a very small locality pond of 35’x35′. But some people within the community wants to fill it up and build a community hall in its place. Most people around the pond(including immediately neighbors) wants to keep it as a pond as it is quite valuable for the locality for everyday uses. But the problem is majority of the people who seldom use the water wants to fill it up. We have sought Municipality, local MLA as well as DC/SDO/SDC help, but they are reluctant to involve in this kind of issues. So what can we do? And where can we find help?
Extra details – Those who wants to fill it up happens to be well to do(powerful and educated), and they have brainwashed the people that the community hall will be equipped with water tanks and hand pump so there’s no need for the old pond. The thing is we have plenty of community hall around the area, and the pond is really small to build such a hall. The water of the pond has been used for bathing, washing, watering plants as well as for construction purposes, and it has ritual values too.
What steps can I do to save it? 🙁
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CFilling up a water body isn’t that easy (legally) and you generally need to go through a long and tedious compliance process.
Get the maps of the area (official) from your local authority, see if you can locate the pond in it. Check the size of the pond, and also file objections before the municipal authorities/panchayat and the forest department as well with copies of the maps. Local water bodies play a crucial role, and they can’t be easily filled up if people feel like it – but you need to make your objections in a systematic manner before the relevant authorities.
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USure will do sir. Also a small part of the pond has been encroached upon by the road(another public property). Will there be a need for eviction for the pond if authorities are involved?
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HHas any official action (legal) been taken to fill up the pond? As mentioned in the other comment, the process is very complicated and requires permissions from various departments of the government. It is not easy for any individual or group of people to do something like this without the support of your local politicians and municipality. In any event, before any action is taken several surveys etc. will need to take place and there will be many opportunities to oppose it.
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UI don’t think they(those who want to fill up) have taken any legal actions. We have formed a committee with members from both sides with the Chairperson(Municipality’s) as president. So far, they are staying neutral as bystander but as I said the opposing parties are quite powerful and rich so we are seeking other options.
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Uif they havent done their due diligence (get permission), file a complaint with your municipality.
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UYeah we did, but the Municipality is like “nah, we don’t want to get involve; you guys talk through it”
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UFYI i am NAL. Maybe write letters to the local ministers, department of justice, demand justice notes.
Or post this on social media and tag ministers of the opposite party the other team belongs to. ONLY DO THIS if you belive the other team will not retaliate by beating you up, filing false criminal cases or just bulldozing your house (aparently that is a trend in India now)
there are a lot of environment protection NGO’s that can help with the nitygritties of this and legal protection. Reach out to NLU’s and law colleges in your state, they usually take on pro bono work to train students and they are lead by pro bono advocates
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