Going Non-Stop: Sewage Dumping In Bhopal Lakes Amid Swachh Survekshan

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Untreated sewage and contaminated water continues to be discharged into city’s key water bodies like Upper Lake, Lower Lake and Shahpura Lake with no effective intervention from Bhopal Municipal Corporation despite ongoing Swachh Survekshan-2024 drive and strict National Green Tribunal guidelines.

As the final phase of Swachh Survekshan-2024 approaches, a central inspection team from Delhi is set to assess city’s Open Defecation Free and Water Plus status. This evaluation worth 1,200 marks out of a total 12,500, includes examining sewage systems and collecting at least 30 samples from major water bodies.

Officials fear that ongoing pollution will significantly impact Bhopal’s score. BMC Leader of Opposition Shabista Zaki alleged that there were hotels and restaurants in Boat Club area, which are openly dumping their untreated sewage water waste in Upper Lake and still the Corporation is not taking any action against them. Zaki also claimed that BMC is contributing to the pollution, as untreated wastewater from its own treatment plants is being released into the lake.

Outdated structure root cause

Defending the Corporation, Mayor-in-Council member RK Singh cited outdated infrastructure as the root cause and told Free Press that it was because of city’s old sewage system, which is directly linked to its lakes. Singh added that BMC initiated a new sewage project, which includes installation of modern Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and assured visible improvement within a few months.