National Green Tribunal Seeks Compliance Reports On Sewage Diversion, Lake-Zone Violations In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal has issued a mandate to the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, Public Health Engineering Department and Forest Department to furnish compliance and action-taken reports within a fortnight. Allegations include untreated sewage flowing into Upper Lake, unauthorized construction near the lake and damage to trees.

The directions came during a hearing on a petition filed by Rashid Noor Khan. The tribunal will revisit the matter on December 21. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation informed the tribunal that the AMRUT 2.0 scheme is intercepting and diverting drains carrying sewage, which will be completed soon. The state government requested additional time to submit its compliance report.

The tribunal strictly prohibits unauthorized construction in the restricted zone of the lake and enforced adherence to the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. Reports on tree damage, felling and compensation for the same are also required. The NGT scrutinized allegations that trees had been damaged by drilling holes into their trunks and applying chemicals to dry them out.

The tribunal stressed the responsibility of the Forest Department, Bhopal Municipal Corporation and tree officer to protect trees and address damage and illegal felling. The NGT has directed the Forest Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation to submit action-taken reports within four weeks detailing tree damage, permissions granted for felling and compensatory plantation. The tribunal emphasized that the departments had not submitted reports despite earlier directions.