Encroachments Spread Across Key Areas
Reports reveal that encroachments have proliferated in Bairgarh, Khanugaon, Surajnagar, Gauragaon, and Bisankhedi. Marriage gardens, farmhouses, schools, colleges, and even house boundaries now extend into the lake area. Experts have emphasized that no construction should occur within 50 metres of urban lakes and 250 metres in rural areas, yet permanent structures were found right next to Full Tank Level (FTL) markers.
Illegal Constructions and Environmental Concerns
Large buildings, resorts, and farmhouses are visible in Bhadbhada, Bisankhedi, Gauragaon, Beel village, and Surajnagar. Despite Upper Lake’s designation as a Ramsar site, encroachments have been removed only on paper. In Surajnagar, where the Ramsar site and Municipal Corporation tower are located, a boundary wall of a building and ongoing road and sewage work violate regulations. The road from Gauragaon to Beel village cuts through the pond, highlighting widespread encroachment.
Fraud and Land Mafia Activity
Banks of the lake are affected by land mafia operations, with plots being sold at low prices and boundaries manipulated. Multiple minarets marking FTL boundaries were found, but only one bore the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) mark; the rest were unmarked, allowing illegal constructions to thrive around them.
Surveys and Missing Reports
Three surveys in the past ten years have uncovered numerous encroachments, yet reports remain unavailable:
· 2016 DGPS Survey: Measured Upper Lake at 38.72 sq km (up from 32 sq km) and recorded FTL coordinates. Report remains unpublished.
· Recent Survey: NGT-directed survey found 802 of 943 pillars, with 337 submerged and 141 missing. No action was taken to reinstall pillars.
· Latest Survey: Conducted following Supreme Court directions, but report is still unreleased; findings recorded on a mobile app have not been officially documented.
Government Action and Master Plan Proposal
About three months ago, CM Dr. Mohan Yadav directed a fresh survey of lake encroachments, while Bhopal MP Alok Sharma called for an Upper Lake Master Plan to protect the ecosystem. The survey identified over 1,300 encroachments within 50 metres of the lake.
Limited Action Over the Decade
In the past ten years, the only major action against encroachments was the removal of 386 houses from Bhadbhada slum following an NGT order. Subsequent plans have largely remained unimplemented on the ground, leaving Upper Lake’s catchment area vulnerable to further encroachment and environmental degradation.
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