National Green Tribunal Seeks Action on Mass Fish Deaths in Bhopal Lake

The National Green Tribunal's Central Zone Bench has taken suo motu cognisance of mass fish deaths in Bhopal's Chhota Talab (Lower Lake) and issued notices to the collector, Bhopal Municipal Corporation and key departments, seeking responses within six weeks. The tribunal attributed the fish mortality primarily to continuous discharge of untreated sewage into the lake and resulting depletion of dissolved oxygen.

The NGT has constituted a four-member joint committee comprising representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board, Barkatullah University's Department of Aquatic Sciences, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board to investigate the cause and recommend corrective measures. The tribunal warned that similar incidents are likely to recur during monsoons unless untreated sewage discharge is halted and water quality improvement measures are implemented. The next hearing is scheduled for September 18.