3 min readBhopalUpdated: Sep 14, 2023 12:46 PM IST
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has restrained the Madhya Pradesh government from operating cruise boats or any forms of motorised boats on Bhopal Lake or any other wetland site by observing that waterbodies are for public benefit and the government is “under obligation to protect them”.
The NGT’s central zone bench comprising Justice Shudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad also restrained the respondents from “raising any permanent construction within ‘zone of influence’ of waterbodies/wetlands” and demolish any permanent construction.
The NGT order was passed Tuesday on an application by environmentalist Subhash C Pandey against the state government, Bhopal Municipal Corporation and the MP Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), among six respondents.
The NGT restrained the authorities from “running Cruise Boats and any other boat operated with motors in Bhopal Lake (Ramsar site) and other designated wetlands.”
The green tribunal said in its direction: “Waterbodies in Madhya Pradesh are for the benefit of the people and the state is under obligation to protect and maintain them so that the same are not polluted, damaged and no harm is caused to aquatic flora and fauna of these resources.”
It clarified that the restrictions “will not apply to non-motorised Boats/Cruises”, but if they “deploy any system creating noise etc., the relevant environmental statutes shall be followed”.
In his application, Pandey mentioned that Bhopal upper lake is an important source of potable water to the city and has more than 15 kinds of fish and vulnerable animals such as turtles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates. “More than 2500 migratory birds [from] across the world used to come regularly to this wetland for breeding…leading to maintenance of biodiversity along their routes,” he stated.
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Pandey prayed that operation of cruise ships, cruise restaurants and diesel motor boats in the upper lake and other drinking water reservoirs/waterbodies of the state, including the Narmada, be “directed to be stopped”.
The respondents had stated that the applicant “failed to establish under which environmental provisions and regulations launching of cruise ships…is unauthorized and illegal”. They argued that the applicant was mixing up the issue of wetlands and other waterbodies by referring to Wetland Rules, 2017, which “are not applicable to other waterbodies which are not wetlands”.
They also argued that the “MP Tourism Policy…has accorded highest priority for conservation and preservation of natural resources and beauty at eco-tourism destinations”, and that cruise tourism is a “relevant part of the policy”.
