Stop building statue of Gond king, restore Dal Sagar lake in Seoni: NGT

Time of India

24-07-2025

Bhopal: Taking the municipal council of Seoni town in MP to task for planning to construct a statue of Gond King Dalpat Shah on an island located in the midst of a lake constructed by the king, and further planning the construction of a foot overbridge (FOB) to let people reach the statue, the Bhopal-based central zone bench of the
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) said that while Dalpat Shah built the lake for the welfare of human beings and all living creatures, the municipal council was 'destroying' it by installing his statue inside the lake and further constructing an FOB for people to easily reach there.
The green watchdog ordered the Seoni municipal council to dismantle the slab and columns laid for the construction of the FOB and restore the lake to its original position at its own cost. It also asked the MP Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) to recover compensation from the municipal council, Seoni, according to the law.
Hearing a petition filed by Navendu Mishra, a resident of Seoni town, against construction in the lake, the tribunal said, "It is for the parties to consider and reconsider the philosophy adopted by Gond King Raja Dalpat Shah.
The philosophy behind the construction of this water body was making necessary provisions for future generations and provision for drinking water as well as for agricultural purposes to the civilians and general public.
It was constructed not only for human beings but all living creatures. The pious philosophy should be taken into account, and it is the duty of the litigating parties to fulfil the desire of Gond King Raja Dalpat Shah.
It was not desired that the nature of the water body or the lake should be curtailed or damaged, and it was never intended that his statue be installed there."
The tribunal, comprising Judicial Member Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Dr A Senthal Vel, further said, "In case it was in the mind of Gond King Raja Dalpat Shah, he might have installed the statue as he was the king, and there was nobody to prevent him. But the spiritual philosophy and the duty towards humanity inspired him to do the spiritual and pious work.
It is the duty of the litigants to maintain the philosophy and to promote the philosophy of Gond King Raja Dalpat Shah and not to damage his philosophy by making any construction for their convenience.
"
The tribunal members further said that in any case, they can't pass any order against the wetland rules and further that illegality cannot be legalised by any judicial order. If anything is legally wrong, then it cannot be justified to be morally correct.
The order further said that in view of the above discussion and analysis of the report submitted by the joint committee constituted by the NGT to look into the matter and the members of the SEIAA and the CPCB, the district administration Seoni shall ensure strict compliance with section 4 of the Wetland Rules and ensure that there will not be any encroachment on the wetland, construction activities, discharge of untreated water, or dumping of garbage/solid waste/plastic waste in the lake.
The constructions raised during the pendency of this application and those already raised previously in violation of section 4 of the wetland rules must be demolished immediately at the cost of the municipal council.
The municipal council, Seoni, shall prepare a detailed time-bound action plan for the restoration of the site that shall be examined by the MPPCB and approved by the MP State Wetland Authority. The State PCB is directed to realise the environmental compensation according to rules, and the amount of compensation must be utilised for the improvement of the lake under the supervision of the Wetland Authority and local administration headed by the Collector.
A time-targeted action plan shall be prepared and submitted to the Regional Office, MPPCB Seoni, regarding the demolition of pillars and other civil structures constructed inside the lake. The guidelines on Environment Management of Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste, 2017, issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, may be adopted and applied.
The tribunal said that signboards and caution boards should be installed at suitable places regarding restricted zones.
Immediate actions shall be taken by the municipal council, Seoni, for performing cleaning of the lake, and its boundary should be identified, demarcated, and fenced to restrain any unauthorised dumping of solid/plastic waste.
The NGT also asked for the removal of weeds in a scientific manner in Dal Sagar Lake, and a catchment area study shall be carried out for the identification of natural inlet drains of the lake to restore water in the lake.
A groundwater study, including an assessment of present water quality and the groundwater table around the lake, should be carried out by engaging an expert agency. To compensate for the plants/trees felled during the construction work, the plantation of native plant species shall be carried out around the lake and at the central island.
Bioremediation and restoration of the lake bed to improve the water carrying and holding capacity of the lake should be undertaken.
Effective measures shall be taken by the local body to expedite the establishment of sewerage network connections and the construction and operation of STPs proposed under the Amrut 2.0 Scheme in the city within a definite time frame.
The tribunal asked the MPPCB to monitor and submit a report in four months to the registrar, National Green Tribunal, central zone bench, Bhopal. It also asked the registrar, NGT, to send a copy of the order to the Principal Secretary, Department of Environment, Member Secretary, State MPPCB, Bhopal, Wetland Authority, Bhopal, Collector, Seoni, and CEO, Seoni municipal council for information and necessary action.