BHOPAL: Cemented boundaries and other pucca construction walls were dismantled on catchment areas of Upper Lake amidst heavy police force in Khanugaon on Saturday. District administration had identified 600 encroachments in catchment of Upper Lake this summer. It was district administration initiative to clear the catchment zone of Upper Lake. After the instructions of collector Tarun Pithore, administration removed encroachment from catchment areas of Khanugaon on Saturday, deploying heavy police force to ward off any untoward happening. Members of BMC anti-encroachment unit demolished the walls and other constructions and extensions.
In April, the district administration team had marked 600 encroachments from Khanugagaon to Bhainkhedi. But after phasing out of poll code the action was to be done. It will now be a challenging task for district administration as well as (BMC) to remove all 600 encroachments in monsoon season. Delayed action Last year mayor Alok Sharma instructed to remove the five hundred illegal constructions identified in catchment areas of Upper Lake last year. National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered that all encroachers should be removed from the pond of the full tank level (FTL) 50 meters away. Also, no construction should be allowed within 300 meters away from FTL. But it has not been implemented in three or four years.
