Bhopal’s ₹15.78 Crore Kalagram Project Under NGT Scanner Over Alleged Construction Inside Bhoj Wetland’s 50-Metre No-Construction Zone

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Rs 15.78-crore Kalagram project behind Bharat Bhavan has come under scrutiny over alleged construction inside the 50-metre no-construction buffer zone of Bhoj Wetland.

The matter came up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 28, when the bench expressed displeasure over the applicant's absence and directed that pending formalities be completed within a week.

With the matter still pending, the next hearing has been scheduled for January 5, 2027.

The project, spread across 1.05 acres near the Chief Minister's residence, is being executed by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation for the culture department. It proposes live workshops, an art gallery and an open-air theatre.

The case is pending before the NGT's Bhopal bench in Rashid Noor Khan vs Collector and Others case. A bench of Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi had heard the matter on October 28 and the written order was uploaded late Thursday night.

On August 3, 2026, the tribunal had impleaded the alleged actual violator as respondent No. 9 and sought a reply within six weeks. Following the applicant's absence at the latest hearing, the tribunal directed the completion of formalities within a week and fixed January 5, 2027, for the next hearing.

JCB excavation, rock-cutting at site

At the site, heavy JCB machines are reportedly being used for excavation and rock-cutting barely 10-15 steps from the lake. Permanent masonry work involving cement and stone is also underway. More than 40 workers and artisans are engaged in the project, while media access to the site has been restricted.

The environment department's order dated March 16, 2022, along with the Wetlands Rules, 2017, and the Ramsar Convention, 1971, have been cited in connection with restrictions on permanent construction and mining within 50-metre zone.