Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday directed Collector of Bhopal and Bhopal Municipal Commissioner to remove encroachments under their personal supervision.
The tribunal also ordered a detailed action report to be submitted with an affidavit within two weeks and said departmental inquiries should be conducted against negligent officers to fix responsibility.
The NGT expressed concern that sewage treatment plants have not become fully operational even after the stipulated deadline, causing untreated wastewater to be released into reservoirs. It emphasised that protecting public land is the constitutional responsibility of the state, and inaction by authorities is unacceptable.
Advocate Harshwardhan Tiwari said, “Green activists Dr Subhash C. Pandey and Rashid Noor Khan filed the petition. The NGT directed the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh to ensure immediate and concrete action. The next hearing is scheduled for March 17.”
The case relates to encroachments on Kaliyasot reservoir, Kerwa reservoir and surrounding green belts, including the botanical and regional gardens. The tribunal noted that these illegal activities harm environment and endanger aquatic animals like gharials, crocodiles and turtles.
In recent years, sightings of these animals in residential areas have also posed risks to human life. The NGT revealed a total of 97 encroachments in Kaliyasot reservoir area, mostly on government land, and noted that about 150 hectares of land reserved for the botanical garden have neither been properly demarcated nor protected.
