Koradi Lake to Get Major Cleanup: Pankaja Munde Orders 8-Day Action Plan After Bawankule Raises Alarm
Published: June 3, 2026 | Category: Nagpur Local | By: Nagpur Updates Desk
Maharashtra’s heavily polluted 550-acre Koradi Lake is finally getting serious government attention.
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde has directed the Environment Department to submit a detailed action plan within 8 days for the rejuvenation and cleanup of Koradi Lake. The directive came after Revenue Minister Chandrashekar Bawankule raised alarm at a high-level meeting in Mantralaya on Tuesday — painting a stark picture of a magnificent lake choked to near-death by untreated sewage from four surrounding municipalities.
The Crisis at a Glance
| Issue | Details |
|---|---|
| Lake area | 550 acres — one of Nagpur’s largest |
| Location | Koradi, Nagpur district |
| Pollution source | Raw sewage from 4 municipalities + surrounding villages |
| STP status | 7 Sewage Treatment Plants installed — all failed/defunct |
| Health risk | Serious — contaminated water threatening local residents |
| Government response | 8-day deadline for detailed action plan |
| Meeting chaired by | Environment Minister Pankaja Munde |
| Also present | Revenue Minister Bawankule, Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barve |
What Is Happening to Koradi Lake?
Koradi Lake is not just a body of water. It is a historical and ecologically significant lake spread across 550 acres — one of the largest lakes in the Nagpur district. The lake sits adjacent to the world-famous Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Temple at Koradi — one of the most revered Shaktipeeths in Vidarbha, drawing lakhs of devotees every year.
Despite its religious, ecological, and historical significance, the lake is in a dire state.
The core problem: Raw, untreated sewage from four surrounding municipalities and multiple villages flows directly into Koradi Lake — completely unfiltered and untreated. The result: the lake’s water is severely contaminated, posing a direct health hazard to local residents who depend on the lake and its surroundings for daily life.
Revenue Minister Bawankule described the situation bluntly at Tuesday’s meeting: the lake has been in the grip of severe pollution for some time. The surrounding municipalities and villages are discharging their sewage waste directly into the lake. The water has become completely contaminated — and the health of local citizens is under serious threat.
The Failed STPs: Money Spent, Problem Unsolved
This is not the first time authorities have attempted to address Koradi Lake’s pollution. In an earlier effort, seven Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) were installed around the lake to treat incoming sewage before it entered the water body.
The result? All seven have failed.
Bawankule explained: the technology used in these seven STPs has become outdated and the systems have deteriorated over time. They are no longer functional. As a result, untreated sewage continues to flow directly into the lake — making the earlier investment in STPs effectively wasted.
This is a depressingly familiar pattern in India’s lake and river conservation efforts. Infrastructure is built. Maintenance is neglected. Systems fail. Pollution returns — or never actually stops. And the lake pays the price.
Pankaja Munde’s Response: 8 Days to a Plan
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde — who chaired Tuesday’s high-level meeting — took a serious view of the situation and committed to concrete action.
She gave two clear commitments:
1. Permanent modern solutions will be implemented to stop contaminated water from municipalities and rural areas from entering the lake. The emphasis on “permanent and modern” is significant — it signals an intent to go beyond the failed patch-and-pray approach of the past.
2. An 8-day deadline has been set for the Environment Department to present a detailed action plan. Once the plan is presented, a final decision will be taken immediately — and ground-level work will begin without further delay.
Munde emphasised that protecting the lake from pollution and safeguarding citizens’ health is the government’s top priority.
The meeting was also attended by Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barve — whose constituency includes the Koradi area — indicating the political seriousness with which this issue is now being treated.
Why Koradi Lake Matters So Much Right Now
The timing of this intervention is particularly significant — and not by coincidence.
The 162-foot Hanuman statue at the Koradi temple complex is set to be inaugurated in June 2026 — with Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed for the ceremony. The statue, constructed at a cost of ₹11.5 crore, rises dramatically from Pond Number 3 within the Koradi temple complex — effectively from the lake itself.
The contrast between the grandeur of the new statue and the severely polluted state of the surrounding lake has been a source of public comment and concern. A world-class religious landmark rising from a heavily contaminated water body is not the image that either the temple management or the government wants to project — particularly at a high-profile national inauguration.
Bawankule, who has been the driving political force behind the Koradi temple redevelopment, clearly understands this connection. His decision to raise the lake’s pollution at a high-level ministerial meeting — right before the temple inauguration — is a direct acknowledgment that the lake’s health cannot be separated from the temple complex’s future.
As we reported earlier, the Koradi Hanuman statue is set to open for devotees in June 2026 with 7D Chalisa projection, boat darshan and a grand inauguration. The lake cleanup is essential to that vision.
The Broader Pattern: Nagpur’s Lakes Under Stress
Koradi Lake’s pollution crisis is not an isolated problem. It reflects a broader pattern of lake degradation across Nagpur — driven by rapid urbanisation, inadequate sewage infrastructure, and the failure to maintain existing treatment systems.
Ambazari Lake has been battling water hyacinth — fed by the same untreated sewage problem. The Futala Lake Musical Fountain revival is being delayed partly because sewage continues to flow into Futala Lake, damaging the fountain’s underwater systems.
The pattern is clear: Nagpur’s lakes are being loved to death — cherished as recreational and religious destinations while being slowly poisoned by the sewage of the city they serve.
What an Effective Action Plan Must Include
The 8-day deadline for the Environment Department’s presentation is a positive step. But the action plan itself must go beyond previous half-measures. Here is what experts and environmentalists say it must include:
New, modern STPs — not just repair of failed old ones. The technology must be current, the capacity adequate for the four municipalities’ sewage load, and the maintenance regime robust.
Sewage diversion channels — interceptor drains that prevent raw sewage from reaching the lake while the new STPs are being built and commissioned.
Desilting of the lake — years of sewage inflow have deposited heavy silt on the lake bed, reducing its depth and water-holding capacity.
Water quality monitoring — real-time sensors that track pollution levels and trigger alerts when standards are breached.
Regular maintenance commitment — a funded, accountable maintenance plan for all new infrastructure, so the failed-STP story is not repeated.
Q: Where is Koradi Lake? Koradi Lake is located in the Koradi area of Nagpur district — approximately 20 km from Nagpur city centre, adjacent to the famous Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Temple.
Q: How big is Koradi Lake? The lake spreads across approximately 550 acres — making it one of the largest lakes in the Nagpur district.
Q: Why is the lake so polluted? Raw, untreated sewage from four surrounding municipalities and multiple villages flows directly into the lake. Seven STPs that were previously installed to treat this sewage have all failed due to outdated technology and lack of maintenance.
Q: When will the action plan be ready? Environment Minister Pankaja Munde has given the Environment Department 8 days from Tuesday’s meeting (approximately by June 10-11, 2026) to present a detailed action plan. Implementation is expected to begin immediately after.
Q: Is the lake near the Koradi Hanuman temple? Yes — the lake is directly adjacent to the Shri Mahalaxmi Jagdamba Temple complex, where the 162-foot Hanuman statue is being inaugurated in June 2026. The lake’s cleanup is closely connected to the temple complex’s development.
Q: Has there been a previous cleanup attempt? Yes — seven STPs were installed in an earlier effort. All have failed due to outdated technology and poor maintenance. The new action plan aims to implement permanent, modern solutions.
8 Days to a Plan. Then Real Action Must Follow.
Pankaja Munde’s 8-day deadline for an action plan is a good start. But Nagpur’s citizens — and the devotees of Koradi — have seen action plans before. What matters is what comes after the plan.
The real test will be whether the government follows through with modern STPs, proper sewage diversion, adequate maintenance funding, and the political will to hold the four municipalities accountable for the sewage they have been pouring into this sacred lake for years.
Koradi Lake — 550 acres of history, ecology, and spiritual significance — deserves better than seven failed STPs and decades of neglect. The Hanuman statue rising from its waters deserves a lake that reflects the beauty of what surrounds it.
Nagpur Updates will track the Environment Department’s action plan presentation and report on every milestone in the Koradi Lake rejuvenation process.
Tags: Koradi Lake, Pankaja Munde, Chandrashekar Bawankule, Lake Rejuvenation, Nagpur Environment, STP Nagpur, Koradi Temple, Nagpur Local News 2026
