Bhopal Municipal Corporation Respondent In Half A Dozen Petitions Pending With NGT

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Half dozen petitions are pending with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in which Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been made respondents.

The tribunal has made the municipal respondents in cases on encroachment on Kaliasot River, Kerwan dam, deforestation, cruise operation in Upper Lake . Recently, NGT slapped Rs 1 crore fine on restaurant construction in Upper Lake catchment.

BMC administration was criticized in the municipal council meeting over the issue. Mayor Malti Rai, had said that the municipal corporation has moved the high court appealing against the NGT order, however, soon after another fine of Rs 1.8 crore was imposed on BMC over Adampur landfill.

Similarly, the municipal corporation has been caught on the wrong foot on Borevan forest park over chopping of trees for construction of yoga and pagadi halls.  

According to environmentalists, a petition was filed in January, 2023 over encroachments by builders and hospitals on Kaliasot River, a tributary of Betwa river.

As per law, any construction within  33 meter on two sides of the river bed is prohibited. NGT on July 19, 2021, had constituted a committee under Chief Secretary to ensure compliance.

Similarly, a petition has also been filed in NGT over encroachment in Kerwan dam area. Similarly, the issue of deforestation in Bhopal on central and side verges is pending in NGT.

The tribunal has issued notices to Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Capital Project Administration (CPA), now merged with the PWD over it.   A petition is also filed in NGT on cruise operation on Upper Lake.

Waste streams generated by cruise ships are hazardous to the environment in many ways. Carbon emissions and dangerous particles are emitted by cruise ships because of the quantity and quality of the fuel used by these floating citadels.

BMC faced the ire of Tribunal which has slapped fines of crores of rupees exposing the laxity of the BMC officials. BMC violated green norms “Over violating green norms, key petitions are pending with NGT in which BMC is respondent.

The petitions include encroachments on Kaliasot river, Kerwa Dam, deforestation, cruise operation on Upper Lake and others.” -Environmentalist SC Pandey   BMC slapped with fines BMC is directly involved in cases pending in NGT.

The tribunal has slapped fines of crores of rupees on BMC for violating the green norms in two cases directly. This has exposed the BMC administration.” -Advocate Harshverdhan Tiwari