Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has directed a court-appointed development body to approach the Wetland Authority to notify the Lonar Crater lake as a wetland and to ensure its preservation, conservation and also sustainable management. The lake in Lonar town of Buldhana district was created more than 50,000 years ago due to a meteorite impact.
The HC had last year directed the state government to appoint 'Lonar Crater Lake Development Authority' for preservation of the water body. A division bench of Justices Sunil Shukre and Anil Pansare on Thursday, while hearing a petition filed by one Kirti Nipankar, who has raised concern over the change in colour of the lake and its conservation, asked the HC-appointed committee to approach the Wetland Authority for notification of the Lonar Crater lake as a wetland. The authority has been established under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management)Rules, 2017.
A wetland tag will help in better conservation and protection of the lake. The oval-shaped Lonar Lake, the mean diameter of which is around 1.2km, is a popular tourist place, which also attracts scientists from across the world.
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