National Green Tribunal
News Item Titled "Yeh Bhi Ajab Crore Ke ... vs Coram: Hon'Ble Mr. Justice Prakash ... on 25 September, 2025
Item No. 29 Court No. 1
BEFORE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 223/2025
News Item titled "यह भी अजब करोड़ के बने नाले में भरा मलबा अगल बगल से ननकल
रहा पानी" appearing in Dainik Bhaskar dated 25.04.2025
Date of hearing: 25.09.2025
Uploaded on: 27.10.2025
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON
HON'BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER
Respondents: Ms. Rukhmini Bobde, Mr. Jatin Dhamija, Mr. Amlaan Kumar & Mr.
Vinayak Aren, Advs. with
Mr. Sanjay Dubey (Through VC), Addl. Chief Secretary,
Mr. Sanket Bhondve (Through VC), Commissioner, Urban,
Ms. Shishir Gemavat (Through VC), Addl. Commissioner, Urban,
Mr. Neelesh Dubey (Through VC), Deputy Director, UADD &
Ms. Babita Markam (Through VC), Assistant Director, UADD, State of
Madhya Pradesh
Ms. Ankita Sharma & Ms. Ishika Neogi, Advs. with
Mr. Ram Prakash Ahirawar (Through VC), Commissioner,
Mr. Kamlesh Shrivastav (Through VC), Superintendent &
Mr. VN Vajpayee (Through VC), Add. Commissioner, Jabalpur Municipal
Corporation
Mr. Amit Singh Chauhan, Ms. Shikha Chauhan & Ms. Kshitij Singh,
Advs. for CPCB
Mr. Raghav Sharma & Mr. Jaskirat Pal Singh, Advs. for MP PCB
ORDER
1. This original application is registered suo motu on the basis of the news item disclosing mis-managed drainage infrastructure in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh resulting in severe water logging and sanitation issues.
2. The news item discloses that Omti and Motinala having the original width of 80 feet have been reduced to 40 feet after an expenditure of Rs. 374 crores and are now filled with debris causing the overflow. It also highlights erection of concrete pillars on the top of the drain on link road blocking access for cleaning and obstructing the flow of the drain. 1
3. Reply dated 09.07.2025 on behalf of Respondent no.1-Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC), respondent no.2 dated 04.09.2025 on behalf of Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) and on behalf of respondent no.3-Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) dated 15.07.2025 have placed on record.
4. Respondent no.1, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has disclosed the background of sanction of fund to concretize storm water drains with object to prevent floods in the city at a cost of Rs 374.99 crores. JMC has admitted in para 3 of their affidavit about encroachment of drains in Madan Mahal locality and the relevant para is reproduced as under:-
"3. The encroachments in the Madan Mahal area have been carefully identified and listed by the JMC. A dedicated encroachment clearance drive has been carried out by JMC to remove illegal obstructions and restore the tree flow and maintenance of drains in the Madan Mahal locality as well as other affected locations in the city."
5. Regarding cleaning of drains, JMC has devised cleaning mechanism for Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level drains through mechanical and manual method which is as under:-
"C) Cleaning of Existing drains
1. Drain cleaning in the city is conducted using a combination of manual and mechanized methods, depending on the drain category:
• Primary drains are being cleaned entirely through mechanized equipment such as desilting machines and excavators. • Secondary drains are being cleaned through a mix of manual labor and mechanical assistance to ensure efficiency and safety. • Tertiary drains are being cleaned manually by the Nala Gang workers due to their narrow and inaccessible nature."
6. JMC has admitted on likely obstruction due to pillar construction in drain and has responded based on the reply of State PWD which is reproduced below;
"5........ It is kindly submitted that State PWD (SPWD) department had informed the corporation about the necessity of up- ramp of the said cable stay bridge, for which piling and construction of piers was needed. Although it is kindly accepted that some piers 2 is constructed in between the carriage way of OMTI drain, but SPWD experts has already taken the required measures to avoid obstruction in the flow and made the bypass drain for the obstructed carriage area of the same. SPWD has communicated about all the measures and solutions which have been taken to avoid the obstruction in storm water flow via letter dated 04.07.2025 Letter is annexed as Annexure R-7 for reference".
7. In para D of the affidavit, JMC has disclosed about City's Door-to- Door waste collection mechanism and thereby preventing waste to go in drains.
8. We find that JMC has not specifically disclosed on the purpose and objectives of the drains in question. The storm water drains practically should have no flow during non- monsoon period and if they are reporting the flow then its sources needs to be disclosed. JMC has also failed to disclose quantity of flow in storm water drains and its characteristics.
9. JMC has also not disclosed details of encroachments and mode of clearing them and timelines to complete it.
10. CPCB (Respondent no.3) in its affidavit dated 15.7.2025 has clarified that households are not connected to the underground sewerage and discharges are in the storm water drains. The disclosure made by CPCB is as follows:-
"6. That, Hon'ble NGT vide its order dated 27.05.2024 in the matter of Original Application No. 625/2024 constituted three-member joint committee comprising of representatives of Member Secretary, CPCB; RO, MoEF&CC, Bhopal and District Magistrate, Jablapur. The joint committee submitted its report before Hon'ble NGT on 25.09.2024 based on joint committee site inspection carried out on 28.08.2024 and 29.08.2024. The joint committee report filed on 24.09.2024 included the status of storm water drains along with the progress of repair / reconstruction of storm water drain system in Jabalpur city. The joint committee observed that majority of households in Jabalpur city are not connected to sewer network and the five major drains have not been diverted to sewage treatment plants. The joint committee further observed that total capacity of the STPs installed in the city was 154.38 MLD, however total utilized capacity of STPs was 58.745 MLD, as the installed plants were not operational at their full capacity due to lack of sewerage network. The 3 copy of the joint committee report filed on 24.09.2024 is annexed herewith as ANNEXURE-l."
11. MPPCB (Respondent no. 2) in its response dated 04.09.2025 has disclosed shortcomings based on the inspection dated 28.06.2025 of the drains in question and conveyed to JMC as follows:-
"विषय :- नगर वनगम जबलपुर क्षेत्रान्तगगत बहने िाले नाल ों में वनमागण कायग वकये जाने के कारण प्राकृवतक जल प्रिाह प्रभावित ह ने एिों जल भराि की स्थित उत्पन्न ह ने के सबोंध में कारण बताओ सूचना पत्र।
सोंदभग :- माननीय एनजीटी वप्रोंवसपल बेंच में प्रचवलत प्रकरण कमाोंक 625/2024 ि 223/2025
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उपर क्त विषयान्तगगत माननीय एनजीटी अवधकरण, वप्रोंवसपल बेंच प्रचवलत प्रकरण कमाोंक 625/2024 एिों 223/2025 में वदये गये आदे श की प्रवत सोंलग्न है।
उपर क्त प्रचवलत प्रकरण ों के पररप्रेक्ष्य में ब र्ग के अवधकाररय द्वारा वदनाोंक 28/06/2025 क नगर वनगम जबलपुर क्षेत्र अतोंगगत मदन महल जबलपुर का वनरीक्षण वकया गया। वनरीक्षण में वनम्नानुसार स्थिवतय ों पाई गई है :-
1. मदन महल क्षेत्र में बनाये गये फ्लाई ओिर विज के कुछ वपलसग ओमती नाले में बनाये जाने के कारण नाले की प्राकृवतक जल बहाि प्रभावित हुआ है।
2. यह वक उक्त फ्लाई ओिर जहाों समाप्त ह कर र र् से वमलता है उस िल पर नाले की चौर्ाई क सोंकुवचत वकया जाना पाया गया है वजससे िषागकाल में जल बहाि िावधत एिों ओिरफ्ल ह कर आसपास के क्षेत्र में जल भराि की स्थिवत वनवमगत ह ती है।
3. मदन महल क्षेत्र में नेवपयर टाउन नाले का लगभग 300 मीटर ढका जाकर उक्त नाले के उपर टाईल्स लगाकर पक्कीकरण वकया गया है तथा पाथिे बनाया गया है वजससे नाले की प्राकृवतक जल बहाि क्षमता एिों साफ सफाई प्रभावित हुई है।
4. अधारताल क्षेत्र में म ती नाला का काफी भाग का भी पक्कीकरण वकया गया है वजससे िल पर नाले की चौर्ाई क सोंकुवचत वकया जाना पाया गया है।
5. नगर वनगम जबलपुर शहरी क्षेत्र में प्रिावहत ह ने िाले नाल मुख्यतः ओमती एिों म ती नाला की वनयवमत तौर पर सफाई नही वकये जाने के कारण नाल की जल िहन क्षमता प्रभावित हुई है वजससे भी आसपास के क्षेत्र में जलभराि की स्थिवत वनवमगत ह ती है।"
12. Replies/reports on record reflect pathetic condition and mismanagement of drains, abuse of storm water drains for disposal of sewage and filth. We, therefore direct JMC to give proper factual status and respond to the above observations. Commissioner, JMC will remain present on the next date of hearing.
13. List on 29.04.2026.
Prakash Shrivastava, CP 4 Dr. A. Senthil Vel, EM September 25, 2025 Original Application No. 223/2025 JG.
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