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| Municipal functionaries removing encroachments |
Living in Bhopal, it would seem, people are obsessed with the city’s biggest
water body, the iconic Upper Lake. It is more so in my case as every hour of
the day I find it spread right out in front of me. It is such a fascinating
sight. I have been seeing it for the last twenty years in its various moods –
lit up in sunlight and azure under a cloudless sky, somber in the moonlight,
dark and grey during the monsoon with black forbidding clouds hovering over it,
soft-focussed and diffused when it rains. My first published journalistic
effort was on it; I can never tire of writing about it. No wonder, I follow
everything that is written about it in the dailies.
The current reports reveal the callousness of people who are supposedly
charged with the responsibility of taking care of it and other random thugs of
the town who have been out to exploit its surroundings for personal gain by
nibbling away on its fringes or grabbing its bed when the water recedes during
the dry season. Thankfully the 9th July floods occurred when,
providentially, the case of encroachments on the Lake was also being heard in
the National Green Tribunal. The heavy rains filled up the Lake to its highest level,
i.e. 1666.80 ft. and many of the places grabbed that were being passed off as
outside its boundaries were flooded. As there was a controversy about its spread
a decision was taken to check the “full tank level” (FTL) of the Lake and teams
were sent out to verify the cement markers that were reportedly planted by the
municipal corporation to indicate the extent of its spread. Four teams were
constituted by the district administration for the survey.
Reports started trickling in every day about the results of the survey
only to reveal the mass-scale grabbing of the Lake’s area in almost all
directions. The surveyors could not locate many markers, numerous others were
found submerged in the waters of the Lake and several others had been overtaken
by the spreading water. All these years people have been merrily encroaching in
the areas that basically belonged to the Lake and this was surely made possible
by the support and connivance of the municipal officials. The municipal councillors
concerned also would have got their cut. Thus, those who were charged to ensure
the integrity of the Lake actively subscribe to these illegalities resulting in
shrinkage of the Lake, pollution of its waters and, of course, damage to its
eco-system.
From shanties to fairly big houses, liquor shops to shops to eating
joints, warehouses to shops selling marble slabs occupying large areas, all kinds of establishments were found merrily functioning
and well entrenched in their illegal occupations. Some of the authors of these
illegalities along the artery heading north even assaulted the municipal
officials in their agitation when they appeared with their equipment to bring
down the unauthorized and patently illegal structures. Policemen, who were
present, handled them with patience and a lot of understanding.
Demolition of houses in Khanugaon (Cf: Bhopal Notes :: 32 :: Uncivil
people of Khanugaon) were to be taken up but were postponed on the orders of
the Mayor. Here, it seems, not one marker was found by the surveyors. These
must have been destroyed by those who illegally occupied the land that
rightfully should have been within the FTL. The reason for not proceeding with
demolition of the illegal constructions is not quite clear; the most charitable
explanation could be the human problem of people becoming homeless if their
structures were demolished. It was in Kanugaon that its residents had earlier misbehaved
with the members of the Bhopal Citizens’ Forum who had gone there to check the
location of the retaining wall that was being constructed by the municipal
corporation. The Citizens’ Forum and later even the chief minister found the
wall well within the Lake. The project was supposedly prepared to provide a 2
kilometre-long pathway and a cycle track for the people with a boat club thrown
in near about. Quite clearly, as it now seems, the whole project was formulated
to protect the illegal houses from ingress in them of waters of the Lake. A
minister too reportedly supported the project. The idea was, clearly, to push
back the boundaries of the Lake. And that is why, perhaps, the residents were
so wild at the visit of the members of the Citizens’ Forum. Even the area’s
councillor was probably involved in it as he too had, reportedly, threatened
the members of the Citizens’ Forum and told them to refrain from visiting the
area again.
The findings of the surveyors are yet to be placed before the Green
Tribunal. It seems there were all-told 943 cement markers all around the Lake
and only a few more than 820 or so have been accounted for. Obviously the
missing ones have been done away with by those who waded into the Lake’s
territory to satisfy their greed. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation has shown
nothing but all round incompetence in discharging almost all its functions; it
has done more so in respect of the Lake despite being charged with the
responsibility of being its custodian. Disappearance of the markers and
whole-sale encroachments which were allowed to continue for years are testimonies
of its utter ineffectiveness. Reports have been circulating about hefty amounts
that were being paid to the municipal and government officials in lieu of their
favours.
Apart from sundry encroachments, it allowed establishment of the Chirayu
Hospital & Medical College in what now seems to be the area within the FTL.
It must have been flooded this year as the rains have been more than normal as
it was flooded even last year when the rains were sparse. A case filed against
it but seems to have had wrongly alleged that it violated the catchment area;
in fact, as it now seems, it is well within the FTL of the lake Nonetheless,
the case resulted in conviction and the
Hospital got away very lightly as it was directed to plant a few hundred trees
as punishment.
With the exposure of the lackadaisical and careless attitude of the
municipal official one can only wait and see what action is taken against those
who are responsible for the encroachments and their continuance over the years.
The Upper Lake, apart from being a vital source of water for the denizens of
Bhopal, is also an important environmental asset for them. It has a far greater
role in tempering the city’s micro-climate than what is appreciated. To tinker
with its expanse and to allow the pollution of its waters would seem to be a
serious crime against the citizens of the city.
One only wishes the National
Green Tribunal makes a comprehensive assessment of the measures taken (or not
taken) by various authorities concerned, including Bhopal Municipal Corporation,
to apportion blame on them for their failure in maintaining the integrity of
the Lake and for imposition of suitable penalties. One also wishes t the
Tribunal takes into account various tourism activities that are being conducted
in and around the Lake by the MP State Tourism Corporation against the
environmental norms and issues suitable directions.
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