National Green Tribunal Orders Resumption Of Kerwa Full Tank Level Survey In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the resumption of the Kerwa Dam Full Tank Level (FTL) survey, including ground-truthing and physical verification, after a previous survey listed 33 encroachments/constructions within the FTL area, including properties linked in the submitted records to a former Madhya Pradesh chief secretary, sons of a former DGP and a Congress MLA.

The direction was issued by the Central Zone Bench of the NGT while hearing a petition filed by Rashid Noor Khan. The hearing was held on Wednesday, while the order was issued on Thursday.

The survey committee has been given three weeks to complete the exercise and submit a final report. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct 29.

The fresh survey will determine the present status of the demarcation and the constructions listed in the earlier report before the final findings are placed before the NGT.

Satellite, drone imagery to determine FTL

The tribunal directed that the final FTL assessment be based on satellite imagery, drone surveys, ground-truthing, government records and topographical maps, including contour details available with the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department.

The height of the dam will also be considered while determining the FTL and buffer zone. According to records submitted before the NGT, the submerged area of Kerwa Dam is approximately 462.150 hectares, with its boundary earlier demarcated using 1,080 concrete blocks and pillars. The committee will now verify how many pillars remain at the site and whether the existing demarcation matches official records.

18 structures on govt land, 15 on private land

The earlier records identified 33 constructions - 18 on government land and 15 on private land. Details of the persons concerned, the nature of the constructions and notices issued to them were placed before the tribunal. These will now be cross-verified through drone imagery and physical verification.

Names in submitted list

Area: Owner names

Mendora: Congress MLA Ajay Singh, Rakesh Leela, Sharadkumar Sanghi, Rajkishore Singh, Nisha P Rajani and former MP chief secretary Avani Vaishya.

Bhanpur Kekadiya: Narayan Singh Lodhi, Manish Tripathi and Ashish Tripathi, identified in the submitted material as sons of former MP DGP Subhash Chandra Tripathi.

Barkheda Bajyapat: Ramkishan, Dalchand, Suresh, Balkrishna, Alok Nanda (M/s IPS School) and Dr Pramod Srivastava.

Fatehpur Dobra: Indra.

Mahuakheda: Rajendra Sharma, Lal Miyan, Khatoon Bi, Government Satellite School (Sarotipura), Mehboob, Javed, Shaheed Khan, Banne Khan, Mukesh, Kallu Khan, Congress leader Arun L Singh and Aamir Khan.