Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal, on Monday took a strict view of the alleged encroachments and environmental violations around Shahpura Lake, and reprimanded the district administration, Water Resources Department (WRD) and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) for passing the responsibility to each other.
Hearing the matter in Nitin Saxena vs MP State Wetland Authority & Ors., the bench of Justice Shyo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi expressed displeasure over different departments passing responsibility to one another instead of taking coordinated action.
FTL, buffer zone to be fixed in 10 days
The tribunal directed Kolar sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) PC Pandey, the Water Resources Department (WRD) and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) to coordinate with the committee constituted for the purpose and complete the joint demarcation of the lake's full tank level (FTL) and buffer zone within 10 days.
Once the FTL and buffer boundaries are established, the Kolar SDM has been directed to initiate action to remove illegal and temporary structures from the lake's catchment and 50-metre buffer area.
SDM pulled up for lack of preparation
The tribunal also expressed strong displeasure with SDM Pandey for appearing without adequate information and preparation. The officer was directed to ensure proper preparedness in future proceedings.
The NGT further warned BMC over its failure to submit a detailed response and directed the civic body to file its compliance report before the next hearing.
Drone survey flags encroachments
According to the report placed before the tribunal, a drone survey was conducted through MP State Electronics Development Corporation on July 24, 2026. The survey identified several permanent and temporary structures and alleged encroachments in the catchment area.
The petitioner's counsel, Harpreet Singh Gupta, submitted that Shahpura Lake is a notified wetland and alleged that untreated sewage continues to enter the lake, while encroachments remain in the buffer zone, in violation of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
The matter will next be heard on Oct 30, when the authorities are required to submit an action taken report on the directions.
