Bhopal Municipal Engineer Enters Sewage-Filled Drain To Save Lower Lake As BMC Faces ₹2.10 Crore NGT Penalty Threat

Bhopal's Municipal Engineer Dives Into Overflowing Sewage Drain To Avert ₹2.10 Crore Penalty From NGT

Facing a looming threat of a hefty Rs 2.10 crore environmental compensation from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over pollution of Bhopal's Lower Lake, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) took swift action. Executive engineer RK Trivedi, donning the mantle of a champion of environmental preservation, ventured into the choking Banganga drain on Saturday, supervising cleaning operations for nearly an hour.

The corporation's rapid response included constructing a prototype of a mesh-based stop dam within four hours, a feat accomplished to impede solid waste from infiltrating the lake.

Despite the nauseating odour wafting from the sewage-strewn drain, Trivedi remained resolute, overseeing the cleaning operation and directing the BMC's workforce. The prototype boasts five nets designed to ensnare nearly one tonne of solid waste, with plans to divert an estimated 3 million litres of daily sewage to a sewage treatment plant (STP).

Trivedi informed Free Press that the structure would undergo a week of testing. Should the prototype prove successful, similar installations would be rolled out across five other drains to stymie solid waste from entering the Lower Lake.

The urgency behind the BMC's actions stems from proceedings before the NGT's Central Bench, where a petition was filed by Rashid Noor Khan. The petition shed light on sewage discharge, solid waste dumping, and environmental violations within the Lower Lake zone. Advocate Harshwardhan Tiwari, representing the petitioner, disclosed that the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) had calculated an environmental compensation burden for 21 months, from March 31, 2026, to December 31, 2027.

The total compensation amounts to Rs 2.10 crore, with the Bhoj Wetland Authority, MPPCB, Central Pollution Control Board, and Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recommending coordinated action, periodic inspections, and the time-bound installation of a proposed 10 MLD sewage treatment plant under AMRUT 2.0.