Protection of Lake Fringes

Survey & Documentation of tyhe FTl & No Construction Zone in the Upper Lake Fringe: 

The Upper and Lower Lakes of Bhopal are situated within the urban area and as such the spread of the inhabited area and the Lake water spread is in continuous confrontation with each other. The Upper Lake has a shore length of approximately 57. 3 kilometers of which approximately 26.3 kilometers is the periphery abutting urbanized area and the balance 27 kilometers is surrounded by rural areas.

Being encompassed by the urban area to a certain extent, the Lake water body is extremely vulnerable to encroachments of habitational area, The easiest method of encroachment in the urban area is by slow and steady reclamation of water spread area by filling it up with debris. If this trend were allowed to continue, it would result in reduction of Lake spread area. Moreover, with the establishment of habitational areas on the fringes, the non point sources of pollution increase thereby increasing the pollution of the lakes. the threat of cultivation on the exposed Lake bed, in an unauthorised manner looms heavily on the Lake in the rural area Similarly, cultivation in the Lake bed in the rural area add nutrients directly to the lake bed thus creating environmental problems in the Lake.

Taking cognizance of this threat to the water body, the Project had suggested to the Town & Country Planning Department to ensure a no construction zone on the periphery of the Lake. Accordingly, accepting our suggestion, the Bhopal Development Plan 2005 has declared a 50 m No Construction Zone from the FTL for the Upper Lake. 

As is known, the water level in the Upper lake fluctuates regularly with season, from the Full Tank Level of 508.04m at the maximum and an average minimum level of 505m. In the absence of clear demarcation of the FTL of the Upper Lake and the 50 m statutory No Construction Zone boundaries, it is difficult to ascertain these zones, and as a result, statutory control can not be excercised with vigour. 

It is thus proposed that the entire shoreline of the Upper Lake be marked with the Full Tank Level Line as well as the 50 m No Construction Zone line beyond FTL with boundary stones and document them as a survey. This document would serve as the basis for verification of any constructional/developmental work in the fringe area and thus a vigorous control could be exercised. 

The work is being executed by Bhopal Municipal Corporation which is the statutory body governing constructional & developmental activities in the city. With the certification of the FTL and the NCZ boundary in a documented form available with the Authority, the controls in this zone could be exercised with vigour. The survey has commenced in the month of August 2001 and is expected to be completed in a time span of 9 weeks.at a cost of Rs 0.15 million.