Bhopal's Upper Lake Encroachment Drive: Khushwant Singh's Bungalow Under Scrutiny

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A bungalow associated with the noted author late Khushwant Singh has recently been marked 'red' by the District Task Force (DTF), indicating that it falls within the 50-metre no-construction zone of the Bhoj Wetland area. The Bairagarh SDM recently marked the property, stating it is within the restricted area.

Officials clarified that the bungalow was constructed in the 1990s, well before the Bhoj Wetland Act came into effect in March 2022. Authorities indicated that structures built prior to March 16, 2022, are not automatically illegal, subject to verification of valid documents.

During a three-day survey, officials identified three structures in Khanugaon, 35 in Kohefiza, and seven in Halalpura within the restricted belt. On Friday, a separate team from the TT Nagar SDM office surveyed the catchment area and found 27 additional structures. Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh has directed that demarcation work be completed before Holi, with action against illegal encroachments to begin immediately after the festival.

Encroachments have also been reported in VIP Road, Karbala, and Lalghati. In certain locations, government boundary pillars marking the lake’s limits appear to lie within private premises, prompting questions about earlier approvals and oversight. Authorities have identified 13 sites between the army camp and Khanugaon where debris has allegedly been dumped, raising concerns of potential future illegal construction.

In Halalpura, a farmhouse reportedly linked to a relative of an MLA is under scrutiny for alleged construction in a rainwater flow zone and for discharging sewage into the lake. Environmentalists warn that such activities pose a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem and water quality of the Upper Lake.

ADM Ankur Meshram told Free Press that constructions made before March 16, 2022, are not automatically illegal. He added that the DTF has so far surveyed three out of ten villages in the Bairagarh and Prempura Ghat areas. Authorities have been instructed to classify cases into four categories before proceeding further.