Encroachment removal drive at Bhopal’s Bada Talab:Tehsildar reaches Halalpura with team; 347 illegal structures to be cleared in 15 days

The district administration has resumed its drive to clear encroachments around Bhojtal (Bada Talab) in Bhopal on Friday morning. Bairagarh Tehsildar Harshvikram Singh reached the Halalpura area with his team, where several encroachments had been identified. Removal work is being carried out using JCB machines. Similar action was undertaken in the Bhadbada area four days ago. 347 encroachments identified, removal in 15 days The administration has identified a total of 347 encroachments around the lake, all of which are to be cleared within the next 15 days. Officials have clarified that all constructions raised after the implementation of the Bhoj Wetland Rules on 16 March 2022 will be demolished. Action is also being taken against structures built within 50 metres of the Full Tank Level (FTL) of the lake. Action begins in Halalpura, farmhouse demolished The demolition drive began on Friday in the Halalpura lakeside area. Authorities initiated action against a farmhouse located opposite a marriage garden, removing what they described as illegal possession. 2-month survey to identify encroachments Over the past two months, the district administration conducted a detailed survey to identify encroachments. The highest number of illegal constructions were found in Gaura village and Bisankhedi under the TT Nagar SDM circle. Significant encroachments were also reported in Bairagarh and Baheta, where constructions have come up along the lake boundary. Area-wise action plan announced The administration has released a day-wise schedule for the demolition drive- 10 April: Halalpura – action on identified encroachments 11 April: Bairagarh – behind Kashiayana Bungalow 12–13 April: Sevenia Gond – removal on government and private land 15–16 April: Bairagarh – demolition of houses and marriage gardens 17 April: Huzoor Tehsil – action on government land 18–19 April: TT Nagar – remaining encroachments 20 April: Bairagarh – remaining encroachments 21 April: Huzoor Tehsil – final phase of action Maximum violations found in village areas The largest number of encroachments has been recorded in Gaura village and Bisankhedi within the TT Nagar SDM jurisdiction. Additionally, extensive construction activity has been observed in the Bairagarh and Baheta areas. During demarcation in the Van Vihar National Park area, officials found that over 100 pillars had been installed along a stretch of approximately 2.5 km. Experts believe such construction may violate wetland regulations. A significant number of encroachments have also been reported in the Bairagarh circle. Environmental activist Rashid Noor has termed the issue serious and indicated that it will be taken up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).