Encroachments still threaten Upper-lake Bhopal despite 3 surveys in 10-years:NGT orders fresh probe of sewage flow in Bada Talab; over 1,300 invaded sites face negligence

Bhopal’s lifeline, Upper Lake, also known as Bada Talab, is facing severe threat from encroachments, say government reports, though little action has been taken on the ground. In the past decade, over 350 slums were removed from Bhadbhada, yet other encroachments continue to spread beyond the lake’s boundaries. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has now issued a fresh warning. Reports missing despite surveys conducted in past Despite three surveys over the last ten years uncovering numerous encroachments, the reports are still missing. Encroachments have spread to areas including Bairgarh, Khanugaon, Surajnagar, Gauragaon, and Bisankhedi, with marriage gardens, farmhouses, schools, colleges, and even house boundaries now extending into the lake area. Survey finds encroachments around Upper lake To investigate the findings of last three surveys of Upper lake, the Dainik Bhaskar team visited five key areas around the lake. Expert Rashid Noor stated that no construction should occur within 50 metres of the lake in urban areas and 250 metres in rural areas. However, the team found permanent structures right next to the FTL pillar. These are not isolated cases- hundreds of similar constructions exist around the lake. Widespread illegal constructions Large buildings, farmhouses, and resorts are visible in Bhadbhada, Bisankhedi, Gauragaon, Beel village, and Surajnagar. Alarmingly, Upper lake is a designated Ramsar site, yet encroachments have only been removed on paper over the years. Encroachments at Ramsar site in Surajnagar In Surajnagar, where the Ramsar site is located and the Municipal Corporation tower stands, the team observed a boundary wall of an adjoining building. A sewage line is also being laid by the Municipal Corporation in the same area, while a road is being filled near the tower, violating regulations. The road from Gauragaon to Beel village passes through the middle of the pond, further highlighting the scale of encroachment and regulatory violations. See the condition of Ramsar site in 5 pictures… Fraud in minarets and land mafia activity Banks of Upper lake are also affected by land mafia activity, with plots being promised at low prices, creating confusion over the lake’s boundaries. Fraud has been committed with the minarets that determine the Full Tank Level (FTL) boundary. Five types of minarets were found installed at the site. One of them bears the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) mark, while the rest are painted white with nothing written on them. Encroachments and illegal constructions have sprung up around these fake minarets. Why the issue is being raised now The issue of encroachment and illegal construction has come under renewed focus because the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has recently become stricter about Upper lake. Following this, a fresh survey started on Wednesday. The petition was filed by environmentalist Rashid Noor. NGT clarified that Rule 4 of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 will now apply to all water bodies across Madhya Pradesh. Environmental impact and current status The Upper Lake issue is not just a matter of paperwork but a serious environmental concern affecting Bhopal’s ecological balance. Currently, sewage from 41 drains is flowing into the lake, and 227 encroachments have not yet been removed. Bairagarh Tehsildar Harshvikram Singh said that demarcation work started on Wednesday (October 8), and the team has been asked to submit the report soon. Know what has happened so far… First survey: DGPS survey in 2016, report not released In 2016, the Municipal Corporation conducted a DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System) survey- a precise land-measurement technique that provides more detailed data than standard GPS. The survey reported Upper lake’s area as 38.72 square kilometres, up from the earlier estimate of 32 square kilometres. It also recorded the FTL (Full Tank Level) coordinates of the lake, which could help determine on-ground boundaries and the ownership of private land within the lake area. However, the report has remained buried in corporation files and has yet to be made public. Second survey: 141 pillars disappeared
This year, NGT directed a survey of the Upper Lake. Only 802 pillars out of 943 were found. Of these, 337 pillars were submerged in water, meaning they were installed before FTL. 141 pillars were missing from the site, but after this, no concrete steps were taken to reinstall the pillars and prevent encroachment. Latest survey following SC directions still unreleased This year, following directions from the Supreme Court, the district administration conducted a survey in collaboration with the MP Lake Conservation Authority. However, there is no trace of its report, and it has yet to come to light. The survey is reportedly recorded on a mobile app, but no government document mentions its findings. Until the report is officially documented, on-ground demarcation of the lake cannot be carried out. CM directs fresh survey, MP calls for Upper Lake Master Plan The government is taking Upper Lake seriously, but the negligence of officials is coming to light. About three months ago, CM Dr. Mohan Yadav instructed the Urban Housing and Development Department to conduct a fresh survey of encroachments around the lake. Recently, Bhopal MP Alok Sharma called for a master plan for Upper Lake, stressing that it would help protect the lake. The survey found over 1,300 encroachments within 50 metres of the lake. Only one major action in 10 years, no displacement since About two years ago, 386 houses were removed from the Bhadbhada slum following an NGT order. This remains the only significant action against encroachments in Upper lake’s catchment area in the past decade. Although further plans were drawn up, they have not been implemented on the ground. ​