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| Kaliyasot River |
Looks like Kaliyasot River has been saved. River Kaliyasot, as is well
known flows through the city limits and is a tributary of River Betwa – an important
river of the state. The builders, with the active cooperation of the Bhopal
Municipal Corporation and the state government, had almost succeeded in killing
it. It was only because of a petition in the National Green Tribunal that it
seems like the river will take its original shape.
For this the entire city and the people who live downstream of the river
ought to be grateful to one environmentalist, Dr. Subhash C. Pandey, who
relentlessly pursued the matter and exposed the lies of the district and municipal
officials. Fearlessly he pursued the matter despite the chief minister’s “mai ka lal” speech before the municipal
elections. There has been anxiety among people who had booked flats in the up ‘n’
coming constructions essentially against which the petition of Pandey was
directed. The chief minister, perhaps knowingly, extended to them an assurance
in an election speech which could turn out to be false.
In its orders in March last the NGT had said that there would be a green
belt of 30 metres on both banks of the river and no construction should be
allowed within 200 metres from the banks. In order to overcome the restrictions
the builders had not only erected 2 feet broad walls on both sides in the
prohibited zone, they also tried to fill up the river with stones, rubbish and
copra. The officials, apparently, were giving false assurances to the NGT that
the sanctity of its orders had been adhered to but, not satisfied with their contention,
the Tribunal ordered another investigation. The results of the investigations
were placed before it the other day wherein the district officials admitted
about the efforts of the builders to fill up the river. While admitting the
builders’ irregular activities the district officials did not disclose their
names. Quite clearly, they were in league with the builders or were, perhaps,
even in their pay-rolls. They were naturally severely admonished by the
two-member tribunal.
One feels that not only the builders but even the district and municipal
officials should be prosecuted for perjury. They were all trying to mislead the
tribunal the status of which is of no less than that of a high court. Unless
this is done hoodwinking of the tribunal is likely to continue without any
fear.
One doesn’t know how much harm to the natural assets of the city and its
environment is being caused by the corrupt district and municipal officials.
But for some spirited environmentalists and Bhopal Citizens’ Forum in tandem
with an objective and impartial NGT the environment of the city would have by
now degenerated to a very great extent. The builders are the most insensitive
to the environmental needs of the city. What they know is only their profit and
colluders in the official and municipal agencies care only for their spin-offs.
Copra seems to have become a handy material for the officials of the
municipal corporation to create land where there is none. This is what they
have been caught doing at Khanugaon where their plan was to create a tourist
cluster in collaboration with the MP State Tourism Development Corporation by
reclaiming a part of the Upper Lake. The officials of these agencies and of the
government do not seem to realise the enormity of harm they tried to cause to
the environment of the city and its people just for their short term gains.
Enough harm has already been done to the lakes and the rivers that flowed
through the city. One supposes that any further harm will cause irreversible
changes that may prove to be disastrous. Eternal vigilance on the part of everyone
is, therefore, the need of the hour
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Photo above of Kalisot River is from internet
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