The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has sought reports from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute NEERI and the Geological Survey of India on the environmental impact assessment of the Lonar lake, the colour of which has turned pink. A division bench of Justices Sunil Shukre and Anil Kilor on Monday heard a petition filed by one Kirti Nipankar, raising concerns over the change in colour of the lake water.

The bench said a court-appointed committee, including the judges themselves, shall also visit the site. The oval-shaped Lonar lake, formed after a meteorite hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago, is a popular tourist hub located in Maharashtra-s Buldhana district. The colour of the lake water recently turned pink, which has not only surprised locals, but also nature enthusiasts and scientists. The state forest department informed the court on Monday that it has already collected the lake water samples which have been sent for probe to the Nagpur-based NEERI and the Agarkar Research Institute in Pune.