Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, has imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 on the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) for repeatedly failing to comply with its directions in the ongoing Bhoj Wetland encroachment case, petitioner Rashid Noor Khan said.
Counsel for the applicant, advocate Harshwardhan Tiwari, said that during the hearing on July 9 before a Bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh, judicial member, and Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, expert member, the Tribunal heard the petition filed by environmentalist Rashid Noor Khan. The detailed order is awaited.
The petition alleges widespread illegal encroachments, unauthorised permanent constructions, indiscriminate waste dumping, illegal land filling, obstruction of natural water flow and commercial activities within the protected Bhoj Wetland, allegedly in violation of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
The applicant has also highlighted the ecological degradation of the Ramsar-listed wetland using official land records and government mapping.
Tribunal expresses displeasure over non-compliance
Advocate Tiwari informed the Tribunal that despite five consecutive directions to submit an Action Taken Report (ATR), the BMC had neither filed the report nor submitted any reply. The Tribunal noted that the civic body had ignored its previous warning, imposed a cost of Rs 20,000 and listed the matter for further hearing on July 22.
Most encroachments still intact
A district-level task force was constituted after a meeting chaired by Bhopal MP Alok Sharma. The task force was assigned to demarcate all permanent structures within 50 metres of the Full Tank Level (FTL) around the Upper Lake and remove illegal encroachments.
According to official figures, the task force identified 347 illegal structures during the demarcation drive launched on February 25. However, only 57 structures, including three permanent houses, have been demolished, leaving 290 encroachments still standing despite repeated NGT directions.
Petitioner alleges selective enforcement
Environmentalist and petitioner Rashid Noor Khan alleged that continued encroachments on the Bhoj Wetland remain a serious concern. He claimed the BMC was shielding certain encroachers by citing rules that treat all constructions built before March 16, 2022, as legal. He urged authorities to take impartial action against all illegal structures, stating that protecting the Bhoj Wetland, Bhopal's primary source of drinking water, is a collective responsibility.
