Activities around Shahpura Lake banned by BMC

THE BHOPAL Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned all the activities in the 30-meter limit of Shahpura Lake through an order today. During the past decade, several buildings and houses have come up within 30-meter limit despite the provisions of ?no-construction zone? in Master Plan-2005.

THE BHOPAL Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned all the activities in the 30-meter limit of Shahpura Lake through an order today. During the past decade, several buildings and houses have come up within 30-meter limit despite the provisions of ‘no-construction zone’ in Master Plan-2005.

HT Image

BMC Commissioner Manish Singh today issued orders under sections 243 and 248 of the Municipal Corporation Act 1956 and declared the area of 33-meter around Shahpura Lake as no-activity zone. The BMC administration also invited objections in this regard from the citizens till January 31.

The BMC administration said that there was immediate need to conserve this water body. There was need of constant inflow of water for the survival this lake. The BMC administration believes that the construction and other activities could hamper the inflow of rainwater.

Therefore, the BMC has banned all the activities like animal-keeping, grazing, holding programmes etc. Besides, the construction of buildings and commercial activities would also be banned within 30-meter limit of the lake. The BMC administration said that a part of this lake has been developed as wetland and become a bird shelter. Shahpura Lake has thus become a multi-utility water body.

The Master Plan-2005 also bans any type of construction within 30-meter limits of Shahpura Lake. However, several constructions have come up within this limit of water body during past one decade with legal permission of the BMC administration. Surprisingly, the BMC officials’ plea that the size of this water body has increased during the past five years so the construction have come within this limit.