Bhopal News: NGT Steps In On Lower Lake Pollution, Issues Notices; Petition Flags Sewage Discharge, Encroachment And Waste Dumping In Lake

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Acting on a petition over environmental degradation of the Lower Lake, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday issued notices to several authorities.

Notices have been issued to the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), Town and Country Planning (T&CP), Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Environment Planning and Coordination Organisation (EPCO), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and Bhoj Wetland Authority.

Green activist Rashid Noor Khan filed the petition on Thursday seeking conservation of the Lower Lake. The matter pertains to the conservation, restoration, and protection of the Bhoj Wetland (Lower Lake), a Ramsar site of international importance.

Advocate Harshvardhan Tiwari, appearing for Khan, said that the Lower Lake is facing severe and widespread environmental degradation. He said the most critical issue is the continuous reduction in the lake's size and natural surface area due to encroachment, dumping of debris, and artificial alteration of its natural boundaries. These activities are diminishing the lake's water spread area, adversely impacting its water-holding capacity, groundwater recharge potential, and ecological equilibrium.

The petition stated that untreated sewage is being discharged directly into the lake through various drains and pipelines. Photographs show dark-coloured contaminated water, sludge-filled discharge points, and polluted water flowing into the lake through open drains.

Consequently, eutrophication, an algal bloom caused by excessive nutrient enrichment, has developed within the lake, leading to oxygen depletion and posing a grave threat to aquatic life, in violation of environmental laws.

The petition further stated that large quantities of plastic waste, packaging materials, domestic refuse, and construction debris are scattered across the banks and floating in the water.

In several locations, the accumulation of waste is obstructing water flow and severely compromising the ecological integrity of the lake, indicating failure of solid waste management at the local level.It also alleged that illegal construction and human activities are continuing within the lake's buffer zone.