New Delhi (Agency): Justice Sudhir Agrawal, known for questioning the Madhya Pradesh government’s lack of action on encroachment around Kaliyasot and Kerwa dam sites in Bhopal, has been transferred. He will leave the central bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and join its principal bench in Delhi. His replacement at the central bench will be Justice S. K. Singh.
This development occurred a week after Justice Agrawal expressed strong disapproval of the Madhya Pradesh government’s failure to clear encroachments in prohibited areas surrounding the dams. The tribunal also fined the state government Rs 5 lakh for this inaction.
The NGT criticized the government for what it saw as a lack of competence. The counsel representing the state was more interested in extending the court date rather than presenting a strong argument. The tribunal had initially ordered the removal of illegal constructions within 33.3 meters of the river bed back in 2014. During the hearings, they questioned Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains’ awareness of this order, pointing out a “lack of coordination” among departments tasked with taking action against the encroachers.
This situation has caused political unrest in Madhya Pradesh, which is gearing up for elections. Notably, Congress leaders Govind Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha have questioned the extension of Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains’ tenure.
The issue involves multiple high-rise buildings constructed on the banks of Kaliyasot and Kerwa dams in Bhopal. If implemented, the NGT’s demarcation order could affect approximately 40,000 to 50,000 people and nearly 30 residential colonies in Kolar satellite township.
Following the NGT’s latest order on August 18, several governmental departments, including the Water Resources Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation, have started taking measurements of the Kaliasot river bed and verifying Full Tank Level (FTL) pillars in river bed and catchment areas.
