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Maharastra Powai Lake
The name of this lake has been derived from the estate of Framaji Kavasji Powai Estate and is the man made lake that is located in the valley of Powai in Mumbai. A number of huts are present here in the Powai Village. The commune of the city shares the name of this lake with the village Powai. The IIT Mumbai that is one of the best institutes for science and Technology in India is situated on the eastern side of this lake. The NITIE that is the other popular institution of engineering is also situated near this village. Around the periphery of this lake a number of luxurious hotels and various housing complexes have also been developed. In the past few years the growth of the population has increased gradually around this lake.
This lake is situated on the Vihar lakes’ down stream over the River named Mithi.
In the beginning the total area covered by this lake was about 520 acres and the depth was about 3 on the periphery and about 12 meters towards the center.
This lake has gone through a number of stages of the degradation of the quality of water.The water of this lake was initially utilized by the people of Mumbai for drinking but now it is unfit for drinking. However this lake is still the point of attraction for the people of Mumbai.
History
Before the construction of this lake in 1799 A.D by Britishers this estate was given on lease to Dr.Scott on the basis of yearly rent and after the death of this doctor in 1816 A.D the possession of this lake was took over by the Government in 1826 A.D and was again given on lease to Mr. FramajiKavasji the Vice- president of the society of the Horticulture and Agriculture of West India and after his death the name of this lake was declared after its construction in 1891.
In 1891 a stream branch of the river Mithi was dammed and initially used as the source of drinking water by the villagers of Powai by the Britishers so as to expand the supply of water to the city of Bombay that is presently know as Mumbai. Two dams were constructed by the Britishers having the height of 10 m each for the purpose of storing the rain water that flows from the inferior slopes of Western Ghats as well as the water from the streams coming from the northeast and the eastern slopes of the hills. A plant was made for the antiwater measure of Famine in the southeast direction of the Vihar Lake that is the larger lake for the purpose of the supply of water to Mumbai. This plan was executed in 1889. However this plan got completed in one single year by the cost of Rs.650000 that provides about 2 million gallons of water in a single day. This project was dropped due to the cry and the hue of poor water quality. In 1919 near about 5 Lakhs of rupees were further spent so as to restore the supply of water for its use for outer reaches but it was too suspended because of the initiation of Tansa work
In the starting of 1890’s the project of the supply of drinking water was dropped because of the continuous supply of poor quality of water because of the pollution increasing day by day due to weeds, water hyacinth, siltation, untreated sewage. Then finally this lake was given on lease to the Fishing Association of Western India that is the quasi Government association. This association uses this lake for the purpose of angling and fishing. Later on in 1936 the formation of the association of Bombay Presidency Angling association took place and in 1955 it got registered under the Act of Societies registration. This was later registered as the MSAA (The Maharashtra State Angling Association) that have the control and possession of this lake. The constitution of this lake was revised by this association due to the increase in the pollution day by day.
Flora and Fauna
There are number of crocodiles that can be found by the side of the shores of this lake that have been reported by a number of IIT officials and many fishermen of Powai too. White-throated Kingfisher, Spot-billed Duck, Small Blue Kingfisher, a few Purple Swamphens, Spotted Dove, Bronze-winged, Purple-rumped Sunbirds, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, Brahminy Kite, Ashy Prinias, Red-vented, White-browed Bulbuls, Red-whiskered, Lesser Whistling Ducks, cormorants, Purple, grey Herons of Indian Pond, Egret and great Egrets, Peregrine Falcon, Alexandrine Parakeets and Rose-ringed, Eurasian Marsh Harrier who is the winter visitor, Whiskered Terns & Woolly-necked Stork Hoopoe. Butterflies, humble bees, honey bees and beetles also have there habitat here.
Flora
There is Balsam bushes that are in full blossom and are of pink and purple color that can be found on the periphery of this lake just like carpet.
How to Reach
The distance of this lake is about 40 km from Mumbai if one travels by road. One can approach here via King's Circle, Kurla, Sion, through Santa Cruz or Andheri. The nearest railway station from this lake is Kanjurmarg that is present on the the Mumbai’s suburban railway.
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