Raipur’s Karbala Talab, once a calm heritage water body fringed by old neighbourhoods, has emerged at the centre of a serious regulatory dispute after the Chhattisgarh State Wetland Authority ordered an immediate halt on all new construction worth Rs 1.5 crore. The directive, issued on September 30, followed prolonged non-submission of the official inquiry report by the Raipur Collector - a report that has been pending since July 2023.

 

The Authority’s letter, addressed to the Collector and District Wetland Conservation Committee, drew attention to alleged violations of the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. It noted that despite repeated reminders issued in May, September, and March, the inquiry findings on Karbala Talab and other city lakes - including Budha Talab, Telibandha, and Maharajbandh - were never forwarded to the state office. According to correspondence accessed by The Hitavada, the Forest Division Officer of Raipur had completed the Karbala Talab probe and submitted the report to the Collector in July 2023. However, the document never reached the Authority.

 

It was later obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by local ENT specialist and social activist Dr Rakesh Gupta, who flagged serious violations and demanded intervention. Dr Gupta, in his representation to the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest and Climate Change Department) in September 2025, pointed out that the 2023 report explicitly warned against proposed works by a private company costing Rs 1,13,61,323, describing them as contrary to the Wetland Rules. These included laying of paver blocks within 50 metres of the Highest Flood Level - an activity expressly prohibited under the 2017 Rules.

 

Despite this caution, the works were reportedly executed in February-March 2024, further altering the ecological profile of the lake precinct. The Authority’s latest order directs the Raipur Collector to immediately transmit the pending inquiry report and instruct the Municipal Commissioner to suspend any construction found to violate wetland conservation norms. A copy of the order has also been marked to the

 

Forest Division and the District Wetland Committee for strict compliance. Dr Gupta underlined that the violation extends beyond Karbala Talab. “Other major lakes such as Budhatalab, Maharajbandh, and Telibandha exceed 2.25 hectares and fall under the purview of Supreme Court directives applicable since 2010.

 

The High Flood Level must be calculated from the year 2000, not recent data,” he said, urging the Authority to seek all pending reports under RTI if the Collector continues to withhold them. In his concluding remark, Dr Gupta observed, “The 2023 inspection had already warned that unchecked beautification and construction would shrink the water-holding capacity, harm aquatic life, and transform natural wetlands into non-wetland zones. The latest intervention by the Authority is a timely step to protect Raipur’s water heritage before it is lost to encroachment and neglect.”