THE National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal, has issued stringent directions for the protection of the Bhoj Wetland, expressing concern over encroachments, illegal construction and the entry of untreated sewage into the water body. The tribunal said that the environmental pressure on the Ramsar-listed wetland has become a matter of serious concern and is directly linked to Bhopal’s drinking water supply and public health.The directions were issued while deciding Original Applications 77/2020 and 12/2025. The bench comprising Judicial Member Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi emphasised that the protection of public water bodies cannot be compromised because of administrative delays or inaction. Supreme Court directions must be followed:The tribunal expressed displeasure over inadequate compliance with earlier Supreme Court directions concerning identification, demarcation and protection of the wetland. It observed that unauthorised construction cannot acquire legitimacy merely because authorities failed to act for a long period. The tribunal made it clear that the money spent on an illegal construction, the length of occupation or administrative delay cannot be cited as grounds to protect an unauthorised structure. Authorities have been directed to take action strictly in accordance with law. Three-month deadline for illegal structures:The NGT has directed the authorities to remove illegal constructions and encroachments falling within the wetland, buffer zone and zone of influence within three months. The action will have to follow due legal procedure, but no protection can be extended to structures found to be unauthorised. The tribunal has also prohibited temporary or permanent construction within 50 metres of the Full Tank Level (FTL) in urban areas and within 250 metres in rural areas.

 

The restriction is linked to the Wetlands Rules, 2017. Officials face individual accountability:The tribunal has also focused on the role of officials responsible for preventing encroachments on public land and the wetland. The Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department has been directed to examine the responsibility of municipal officials who failed to take timely action against illegal construction and encroachment. Officials found to have neglected their duties may face departmental proceedings. The order seeks to ensure that administrative inaction does not allow illegal construction to continue around protected water bodies. Untreated sewage banned from entering lake:The NGT has directed the municipal corporation and concerned district authorities to prevent untreated sewage, waste and polluted water from entering the Bhoj Wetland. The disposal of soil, sand, garbage and construction and demolition waste in the water body has also been prohibited. The directions are aimed at preventing further deterioration of the wetland and maintaining the quality of water in the Upper and Lower Lakes, which together constitute the Bhoj Wetland. Seventh demarcation may settle FTL: The long-standing dispute over the FTL and boundaries of Bhopal’s Bada Talab is also set to be addressed through scientific demarcation. Surveys and demarcation exercises have already been conducted six times over the past three decades, but the municipal corporation has yet to establish the lake’s final and undisputed boundaries. The delimitation exercise will now be undertaken for the seventh time. The Water Resources Department has been directed to follow a scientific procedure for determining the FTL.

 

The objective is to establish the boundary conclusively and provide a clear basis for enforcement and conservation measures. Seven-member panel to conduct survey: A seven-member technical committee has been constituted for the scientific determination of the FTL. Representatives and experts from institutions and departments including MANIT, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Forest Department and the State Wetland Authority will be involved in the exercise. The committee will use drone surveys, satellite imagery, remote sensing, geo-tagging and ground-truthing to assess the lake’s extent. Water levels in relation to previously identified pillars and markers will also be examined as part of the exercise. Smaller water bodies also covered: The tribunal has widened the scope of conservation beyond the Bhoj Wetland. The State Wetland Authority has been directed to identify and prepare a conservation report for smaller water bodies measuring less than 2.25 hectares. The NGT has emphasised that lakes, ponds and other natural water bodies are public resources and that the state acts as their trustee. Their protection is essential for drinking water security, groundwater recharge and ecological balance.

 

Compliance to test enforcement:The order now places the responsibility on government departments and local authorities to translate the directions into action. Removal of illegal structures, scientific determination of the FTL, prevention of sewage discharge and fixing accountability for administrative lapses will be key areas of compliance. The progress of these measures will determine whether the long-standing concerns surrounding encroachment and pollution of the Bhoj Wetland finally lead to sustained enforcement. The matter is scheduled to come up for further hearing on September 2.