Massive anti-encroachment drive in Amakhujari forest; tear gas canister accidentally bursts during operation

In a massive crackdown, a joint team of forest, revenue and police departments cleared approximately 200 acres of forest land from encroachment in Amakhujari forest of Khandwa district on Monday. The operation, which lasted about six hours, saw the deployment of 600 officials and employees along with 30 JCB machines.

The action came a day after a team of 40 forest guards was attacked by encroachers when they attempted to stop illegal sowing in the same forest area. Eight forest staff were injured in Sunday's stone-pelting attack.

Monday's operation was conducted under heavy security cover. A 60-member contingent of women police personnel was also deployed to handle any potential resistance. The team carried tear gas shells for crowd control, though one canister accidentally burst due to the bumpy forest terrain, affecting some police personnel.

Administrative Officials Oversee Operation

District Collector Rishabh Gupta, Superintendent of Police Agam Jain, Additional SP Mahendra Taranekar and DFO Rakesh Kumar Damor were present at the site throughout the operation.

The encroachers had cleared trees and shrubs from the forest land and planted maize crops. The team used JCB machines to dig large contours across the area, making it impossible for encroachers to prepare fields or carry out sowing in the future.

Timber, Beds Seized from 13 Huts

Encroachers had built 13 temporary huts inside the forest. When the team demolished these structures, they recovered valuable teak wood logs and wooden beds (khatiyas). The seized material is being transported to the forest department office in tractors.

DFO Rakesh Kumar Damor said that after Sunday's stone-pelting incident, an FIR was registered and action has been taken against nine individuals.

Officer Injured in Bike Accident

Forest guard Pankaj Porwal, who was deployed in the Khalwa range, was called in from Burhanpur for the operation. While riding his bike to Amakhujari, he slipped near Gudi and fell, sustaining head injuries. He was initially taken to the district hospital but was later referred to Indore due to the severity of his injuries.

Sunday's Attack: Women Used as Shields

On Sunday, when the forest team arrived to clear the encroachment, nearly 400 encroachers attacked them. Women were pushed to the front and used as shields while the attackers pelted stones using slingshots (gofan). The forest guards were also attacked with sticks.

Eight forest guards suffered injuries in the attack. Some suffered head injuries while others had their ears cut. All injured were admitted to the district hospital.

The injured guards have been identified as Jwala Singh, Romank Nayak, Shailendra Yadav, Rajendra Singh Saktawat, Rajendra Bagdi, Pradeep Baghel, Chandrapal Tomar and Rahul Lodhi. They are part of a special flying squad recruited in 2025 to prevent encroachment in forests.

Allegations of Delayed Response

Injured forest workers have alleged that they did not receive help for nearly two hours after the attack. They claimed that police and ambulances did not arrive on time.

Massive Deployment for Monday's Operation

Around 600 employees from forest, revenue and police departments reached Amakhujari in approximately 200 vehicles, including both four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Additional SP Mahendra Taranekar confirmed that the police deployment included 14 officers and 200 personnel, while 400 forest staff participated in the operation.

"Due to moisture in the morning, there was some difficulty in removing the encroachment. About 30% of the encroachment has been cleared so far. There is no resistance at the moment," Taranekar said.

Bhopal Demolition Drive Resumes at Upper Lake's FTL Zone After 37-Day Gap Nine shops and two houses razed in Prempura; administration warns of phased action against 347 encroachments across Bhoj Wetland buffer area

Bulldozers Return to Bhadbhada

Bhopal's anti-encroachment machinery rolled back into action on Monday after a 37-day pause, as authorities demolished nine shops and two residential structures in the Prempura locality near Bhadbhada Square — all built within the prohibited 50-metre Full Tank Level (FTL) zone of the Upper Lake, popularly known as Bada Talab.

The three-hour operation, led by TT Nagar SDM Archana Sharma and Tehsildar Kunal Raut, was carried out with a substantial police presence. Two JCB machines and a 35-member joint team from the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the district administration executed the drive without major incident, according to officials.

Structures Worth Over ₹3 Crore Cleared

The BMC anti-encroachment squad removed all nine structures within approximately two hours, with help of two JCB machines and other equipment. The demolished shops and houses — located adjacent to a mosque on government land — are valued at more than ₹3 crore, calculated at the collector guideline rate of ₹2,788 per square foot.

Shopkeepers had been served notices and given 72 hours to vacate the premises. Anticipating the action, most traders had taken away their goods before the demolition began. Two shopkeepers raised objections on the spot, but officials proceeded after hearing them out, stating that due process had already been completed.

NGT Order Behind the Action

The action was undertaken by the joint team in accordance with the Bhoj Wetland Rules, which prohibit any construction within the specified 50-metre zone of the Upper Lake's FTL. SDM Archana Sharma confirmed the legal basis: "It was NGT's order that structures which are lying in a 50-metre radius of the lake's FTL should be removed."

All constructions raised after March 16, 2022 — when the Bhoj Wetland Rules came into effect — are being treated as unauthorised and are being removed accordingly.

Elderly Couple Gets Reprieve

In a moment that stood out during the otherwise firm operation, SDM Archana Sharma ordered her team to spare one room at Bhadbhada Chowk where an elderly, mobility-impaired couple was residing. Officials were instructed to ensure their welfare, even as surrounding encroachments were cleared.

Scale of the Larger Drive

Authorities confirmed that action on government land will begin immediately, while encroachments on private land will be addressed in a phased manner starting April 10. In the TT Nagar circle alone, 116 encroachments have been identified within the FTL zone — 68 on government land and 48 on private plots. An additional 92 constructions — including hotels, resorts, farmhouses, and commercial units — are under separate investigation, with owners served notices to produce relevant documents.

The heaviest concentration of illegal structures has been found in Sevaniya Gaon, Gaura village, and Bisnakhedi. In the Bairagarh circle, around 220 encroachments have been flagged, with removal efforts reportedly already underway.

Political Controversy Surfaces

The selective nature of the action has drawn criticism from the Congress party. Local leader Shoaib Khan and residents staged a protest, alleging that the drive targeted only small traders while ignoring alleged encroachments of influential individuals who own hotels and bungalows in the lake's catchment area.

Officials have previously marked red lines near the boundary wall of a college linked to MLA Arif Masood, as well as near bungalows of a minister and an IAS officer on VIP Road, indicating that the crackdown extends across political and bureaucratic circles.

What Comes Next

Authorities have indicated that bulldozers will target 347 encroachments across the Bhoj Wetland FTL zone over the next 15 days. The administration has also issued a public warning: those with unauthorised constructions within the buffer area must self-demolish or face official action. This phased Upper Lake encroachment removal drive is being closely watched as a test of whether Bhopal can finally deliver sustained enforcement to protect one of India's most significant Ramsar-designated wetlands.