The National Green Tribunal has sought response from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and others on a plea seeking protection of Upper Lake in Bhopal and removal of encroachments from the water body.
A bench of Justice Sheo Kumar and expert member S S Garbyal issued notices to MoEF, urban development department, MP Wetland Authority, state pollution control board and others while seeking their replies in four weeks. "Issue notice to the respondents. Returnable within four weeks. Applicant is directed to provide copy of the application and relevant documents to the respondents within a week," the bench said.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Aarya Shrivastava alleging encroachment on on the banks of Upper Lake beyond Bhadbhada bridge.
The plea said that Bhoj Wet Land upper lake is an international acclaimed Wetland sites declared out of international agreement at Ramsar in Iran. "Under rule (4) of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2018 permanent nature of construction is restricted in wetlands But, in the instant case the illegal encroachments by constructing permanent nature concrete structures, hutments, etc has reached at the banks of lake," the plea said. There is grave injustice caused to the Southern part of Upper lake, properly known Bhadbhada Bridge Bhopal and the Bhopal Master Plan 2005 defines lakes as sensitive Zone which should be kept open upto 50 meters from the edge of Upper Lake, it said.
