Bhopal Year Ender: NGT Wrath, Dismantling Of BRTS, Legalising Of Colonies & Metro Train

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Metro train launch, legalisation of colonies, decision to dismantle BRTS corridor, penalty of Rs 5 lakh imposed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on state government for not removing encroachments at Kaliasot and Kerwa dam sites marked 2023.

Following were major decisions of 2023

End of BRTS

Chief minister Mohan Yadav took decision to dismantle Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The ministry of urban development sanctioned BRT corridors under JNNURM. Launched with 30 buses in 2006, the fleet increased to 225 buses. In MP, Indore shifted to Ahmedabad model but Bhopal evolved its own model.

Bhopal Metro

Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the trial run of Bhopal Metro train on October 4, 2024. He took a ride, inspecting the arrangements and facilities. It has 6 corridors covering a distance of 104.87 kilometres. The first phase covering 28 km of line 2 and 5 is under construction.

Legalising colonies

Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan legalised 6,000 colonies in state in May 2023. Of them, 238 of them were in Bhopal, which included 106 colonies in Narela Assembly constituency.

NGT hits hard

National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on state government for seeking more time for removal of encroachments from green belt and catchment area of Kaliasot and Kerwa dam site. State government was told to remove encroachments in January 2022 but nothing moved.

Resorts, bungalows and other constructions have come up in catchment area and green belt of Kaliasot and Kerwa dam. NGT banned ongoing construction of floating restaurant at Boat Club developed by Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. NGT observed that construction, tree felling, deep holes dug for construction violated environmental rules and provisions of Ramsar Convention.

Taking strong exception to discharge of sewage, biomedical and solid waste in Bhopal’s water bodies, the central bench of NGT slapped fine of Rs 121 crore on Bhopal Municipal Corporation and said it should continue to pay compensation of Rs 1.21 crore every month till remedial steps were taken. It asked MP Pollution Control Board to initiate prosecution process before an appropriate court against BMC commissioner for violation of Water Act.

Poor AQI

Concerned over poor to very poor Air Quality Index (AQI) in Bhopal, divisional commissioner Dr Pawan Sharma, on November 20, 2023, asked district collector to impose prohibitory order in the city to check high Air Quality Index (AQI). City witnessed ‘poor to very poor’ air quality that hovered above 300 after Diwali and prevailed for long.