Disclaimer: This has been reported after the availability of the order of the Court and not on media reports so as to give an accurate report to our readers.
National Green Tribunal, Bhopal: In an application alleging encroachment, illegal discharge of sewage waste and untreated water into the wetlands, the Bench of Pushpa Sathyanarayana, J., and Mr Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi (Expert Member), directed the constitution of a Special Task Force for the protection of the wetlands; further directed to remove encroachment, diversion of untreated water to protect the wetlands and directed the State Wetland Authority of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to complete boundary demarcation of the wetlands as early as possible.
The present application raised serious environmental issues regarding encroachment, discharge of untreated water and illegal dumping of solid waste in the six wetlands of Tikamgarh District, Madhya Pradesh.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted a Joint Committee, which submitted a report wherein the allegations were found to be correct. The NGT observed a serious violation of Wetland (Conservation & Management) Rules, 2017, had taken place at six wetlands, i.e., Mahendra Sagar, Brandavan Talab (Jheer Ki Bagiyta), Gwal Sagar, Hanuman Sagar, Maharaj Sagar and Shell Sagar.
The NGT then issued directions to protect and conserve the wetland as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court in Anand Arya v. Union of India, 2024 SCC OnLine SC 5130, which were further communicated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
The NGT had previously directed the authorities concerned to protect the water bodies, identify and demarcate and protect the area by means of wire, pillars/munnars and to remove any encroachment within the wetland.
The NGT observed that in spite of the repeated directions, the authorities concerned had failed to disclose the status and exact figures of the actions taken by them. The NGT observed that even the State Pollution Control Board, the Nodal Agency for the implementation of the various environmental laws, had not submitted an action taken and compliance report. Thus, directed its Member Secretary to file his personal affidavit in this regard.
The NGT directed the Collector-Tikamgarh to constitute a Special Task Force for monitoring and effective protection of the wetlands in Tikamgarh to prevent further encroachments and illegal dumping of waste in the wetlands. The Chief Municipal Officer, Tikamgarh, was directed to immediately take effective measures for the diversion of untreated water to protect the wetlands till the construction of the sewage treatment plant is completed.
Accordingly, the NGT directed the State Wetland Authority of the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to complete the demarcation and erection of boundary pillars/munnars around the wetlands located within these areas on a priority basis.
[Sobran Yadav v. State of M.P., OA No. 54 of 2025, ordered on 23-3-2026]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the applicant: Rohit Sharma, Advocate
For the respondents: Prashant M. Harne, Advocate for State of M.P.; Shaurya PS Parihar, Advocate with Siddharth S. Chauhan, Advocate for State of Chhattisgarh; Meenakshi Patidar, Advocate for R-4 with Chief Municipal Officer, Tikamgarh
