Three weeks of official letters have done little to stop illegal structures and garbage from threatening a natural lake and nearby mangroves in Mumbai. The Bombay High Court sharply criticised the suburban collector for failing to act on its July 21 order to clear encroachments around Charkop Lake, saying it wanted “deeds, not letters,” while praising the BMC for an “amazing improvement” after cleaning the area. The judges warned that a more efficient officer could be appointed if their directions continue to be ignored and ordered the collector to appear personally on August 14 to explain what action has been taken. For the lake, paperwork is clearly no substitute for people actually doing the work.