Shahpura Lake ‘decline’: NGT forms panel

Bhopal: Taking serious view of alleged blatant encroachments in the green belt surrounding the Shahpura lake, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday constituted a committee to visit the site and present a report within six weeks. Environmental activist Nitin Saxena in his petition before the central bench of NGT charged that the green belt has been blatantly encroached upon and illegal constructions have come up in the buffer zone of the lake in violation to Wetland Rules. "Untreated water is being discharged into the lake, the natural drainage channels which feeds the lake are being obstructed and efforts are being made to stop discharge of water accumulated in the pond so that the area of lake shrinks and further encroachments could take place on the banks of the lake. This has led to continued degradation and ecological deterioration of the lake," counsel for the petitioner Chinmay Singh said.He further argued that Shahpura lake is an important urban water body constructed during the year 1974-75 by the govt primarily for irrigation and groundwater recharge purposes. The lake historically functioned as a vital ecological resource surrounded by dense green belt and natural drainage channels that supported groundwater recharge and maintained an ecological balance.However, over the past decade, Shahpura lake has been subjected to rapid and uncontrolled urbanisation, resulting in encroachments, illegal constructions and obstruction of natural drainage channels feeding the lake.Environmental concerns relating to Shahpura lake are further aggravated by severe pollution of the lake water. According to reports of the MP Pollution Control Board, the water quality of the lake presently falls under Class-E category, indicating that the water is unsuitable for use without treatment. The pollution can largely be attributed to the continuous inflow of wastewater through various drains and nullahs feeding the lake. These drains pass through densely populated colonies and slums from where untreated sewage and solid waste are discharged into the drains, which enter the lake. Despite the deteriorated water quality of the lake, fish cultivation is reportedly being carried out in the polluted waters of Shahpura lake and the fish so cultivated are used for human consumption, raising serious public health concerns. Around the lake, a lot of eateries, both permanent as well as temporary, operate in the evening and waste being generated therein is often thrown into the lake itself.The environmental degradation of Shahpura Lake is also occurring despite ongoing beautification works undertaken by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. These works focus primarily on ‘aesthetic' development without addressing the core environmental concerns, the petitioner said.Following arguments, the bench of Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi said that a substantial issue of the environment has been raised. Issuing notices to the respondents seeking replies within 4 weeks, the tribunal further ordered constitution of a joint committee consisting of one representative each of principal secretary, urban development, water resource department, a representative of the director, Central Pollution Control Board and the MP Pollution Control Board.