Bhopal's Crackdown on Illegal Lakefront Constructions Underway

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation launched a demolition drive against illegal structures around Upper Lake. The initiative, coordinated with the district administration, targets encroachments threatening the ecologically sensitive Bhoj Wetland, a Ramsar site. Officials aim to remove 63 illegal constructions identified within the lake's catchment area over several phases.

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), in collaboration with the district administration, initiated a significant demolition drive on Friday aimed at tackling illegal constructions within the catchment area of the Upper Lake. This decisive action is part of a broader initiative to combat encroachments threatening the ecologically sensitive Bhoj Wetland, recognized as a Ramsar site.

Leading the anti-encroachment operations, Mahesh Gaur revealed that the focus is on dismantling unauthorized structures along the lake's edges and within its catchment area. "We started demolishing these illegal structures this morning and have successfully targeted 10 identified encroachments so far," Gaur informed ANI, assuring that the operation would persist.

Tehsildar Harsh Vikram Singh stated that a comprehensive survey had been conducted to pinpoint encroachments within a 50-metre radius of the Upper Lake's Full Tank Level (FTL), a boundary jointly defined by various government departments. The survey uncovered 63 unauthorized constructions, with a mix of 44 on private property and 17 on government land, alongside 121 encroachments in slum areas. Action on private encroachments commenced on April 10-11, while government land was scheduled for April 15-16. Recently, demolitions in the Lalghati area targeted illegal constructions on private land within the designated zone.

During the demolition operations, sufficient police forces were deployed to maintain order, and senior officials supervised to ensure a seamless process. Earlier in the week, similar actions were undertaken in the Bhadbhada area under Bhoj Wetland Rules, which restrict construction within the lake's FTL defined limit.

(With inputs from agencies.)