Bhopal’s lakes, lifelines of the city, is today witnessing the slow death of the very waterbodies that gave it life, beauty, and identity. From the magnificent BHOJ TAL that has quenched the thirst of millions, to the smaller ponds that once echoed with migratory birds, the city’s wetlands are under severe threat. The lifeline of the city, its lakes and wetlands are slowly choking under pollution, encroachment, and neglect.
Bhopal once had 17 lakes, The Upper and Lower Lakes( Bada and Chhota Talaab) form the heart of the Bhoj Wetland, which in 2002 earned the prestigious Ramsar status, recognising it as a wetland of international importance.
The Upper Lake alone, spread across 36 sq. km with a catchment area of 361 sq. km, supplies 40% of Bhopal’s drinking water, serving nearly 1.8 million people. The Lower Lake, smaller at 1.29 sq. km, supports recreation and tourism. While other lakes are battling survival. Several smaller lakes are on the verge of disappearing due to encroachment, sewage waste and illegal activities. Together, these lakes have been the lifeline of the city, providing water, fish, navigation routes, cooling effects, and a habitat for migratory birds.
But today, the lifeline is choking. From biodiversity collapse to encroachments and sewage inflows, Bhopal’s lakes are at risk of losing their very existence.
Bhopal, once admired for its greenery, is rapidly losing it. Environmental expert Subhash C. Pandey reveals shocking numbers: in just two decades, 81% of Bhopal’s biodiversity has degraded. His study further reveals that between 2009 and 2019, about 4 lakh trees were cut across the city. This destruction is not only reducing green cover but also stripping away the ecological resilience of the city. Studies shows that Bhopal is losing 2.5% of its green cover every year. The Global Earth Society for Environmental Energy Development (GSEED) reports that from 2009 to 2019,
Bhopal’s green cover fell from 35% to just 9%, and by 2022, only 6% remained. On top of this, the Forest Survey of India (FSI) noted Madhya Pradesh’s overall forest cover declined by 18.6% in 2021. At this rate, only 9% will remain in the coming years.
What once was a city cooled by trees and lakes is now slipping into the urban heat island effect, where lost greenery accelerates temperature rise.
“The water quality of Bhopal’s lakes now contains human excreta,” he warns, pointing out that the Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Shahpura Lake, and Hathaikheda Dam are only fit for outdoor use and not for drinking.
The deterioration of water quality is alarming. The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) categorises most Bhopal lakes as B and C class waterbodies. This means they are not fit for direct consumption, with the Lower Lake and Shahpura lake among the most polluted. Even the Upper Lake, once the pride of the city, is no longer fit for drinking purposes without treatment. Out of the 12 waterbodies inside the BMC limits, 9 have effectively turned into sewage ponds.
Only the Upper Lake, Kerwa, and Kaliyasot reservoirs occasionally meet potable standards after treatment.
Environmental expert Subhash C. Pandey warns that while the state board lists Upper Lake as B category, the Central Pollution Control Board ranks it C. If neglected, the lake could slip into D category, making its waters unsafe for any human use.
The ILEC (World Lake Database) report and local studies underline that Bhopal’s lakes are under severe and overlapping threats. Untreated sewage, solid waste inflows, and agrochemical runoff are degrading water quality, while weed infestation and invasive species are choking biodiversity. Rapid encroachments have shrunk catchment areas, and coliform levels from human excreta have risen far beyond safe limits. Experts caution that without urgent action, the very existence of Bhopal’s lakes is in jeopardy.
Environmentalist Dr. Vipin Vyas told The Mooknayak, “The biggest threat is human interference, illegal construction, encroachment, and habitat destruction. It is not just the government’s duty but also citizens’ responsibility to protect wetlands.”
Despite repeated warnings and orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), illegal construction continues in the wetland’s catchment area.
Subhash C. Pandey explains: “Catchment is the true existence of wetlands. It maintains water quality and provides breeding ground for migratory birds. But in Upper Lake’s catchment, water is being stopped, and construction has already eaten into 125 hectares.”
As more water is diverted from outside catchments and groundwater levels drop, the Upper Lake is losing both quality and volume.
Bhopal’s population has nearly increased by half between 2011 and 2025, with a current metro population of 26.8 lakh in 2025, growing at 2.3% annually. This has only accelerated pressure on water, land, and biodiversity.
One of the most visible signs of lake degradation is the uncontrolled spread of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and besharam weeds. Their impact is devastating. They block sunlight, reducing oxygen levels, leading to mass fish kills. They increase Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) after decay. They not only smother native aquatic plants but also shrink fish breeding grounds.
During 2024–25, an average of 12–15 truckloads of hyacinth were removed daily in premonsoon months. Yet the regrowth was rapid, proving that temporary clean-ups cannot replace systemic solutions.
The biodiversity of Bhopal’s lakes is collapsing. Once home to more than 40 native fish species such as rohu, catla, mrigal, mahseer, tilapia, singhara (catfish), and freshwater prawns, the Upper Lake now faces alarming declines. In 2023–24, locals reported a ‘crocodile-like fish’, later identified as the Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) , an invasive predator from North America. These alien species disrupt the food web, prey on native fish, and create fear among local communities. As native species vanish, fisherfolk who long depended on the lake are losing both livelihoods and cultural ties to the water.
For three decades, Bhopal’s lakes have been under “conservation projects”, but the story has mostly been about promises on paper and patchy execution on the ground.
• 8th Five Year Plan (1992–97): Laid the foundation for the Bhoj Wetland Project with JBIC support, promising sewage management and lake revival.
• 11th Five Year Plan (2007–12): Brought wetlands under the National Wetland Conservation Programme. However, catchment encroachments multiplied during this very period.
• AMRUT Mission (2015 onwards): Envisioned for sewage treatment, water supply, and lakefront development. However, several STPs remain under capacity, sewer networks are only partially laid, and untreated sewage still finds its way into the lakes.
Despite bans on motorboats and cruise services to curb oil spillage, the deeper issues lies with sewage, encroachments, and unchecked urban pressure which remain unresolved. Weed removal drives happen, but mostly as temporary measures. On being asked, Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh (IAS) told The Mooknayak that, ‘the historic pond of Bhopal is the identity of the city. The administration is working for their protection, removing encroachments, cleaning, and following NGT’s orders seriously.’
While Bhopal struggles, other cities show that revival is possible. For example, Bengaluru’s B. Channasandra Lake, once reduced from 19 acres to 6.5 acres after decades of neglect, has been revived through sustained public pressure, citizen participation, and strict monitoring of encroachments.
This shows that lake conservation cannot be symbolic , it requires long term, people driven, enforceable action.
Bhopal, with an annual rainfall of 1,070-1,127 mm, is naturally endowed with water, and its lakes should have been the city’s strength. Once thriving as natural recharge units and hubs of biodiversity, they are now under threat from encroachments, untreated sewage, invasive weeds, and rapid urban expansion.
These wetlands were once habitats for 223 plant species, including 63 aquatic ones,, 154 semi-aquatic, including the world’s smallest plant Wolfia globosia, and 180 migratory bird species such as black-necked storks, bar-headed geese, and spoonbills. Now, most of this biodiversity is on the brink of extinction.
Speaking to The Mooknayak, BMC PRO Prem Shankar Shukla said, “At present, I don’t have detailed data, but we will gather expert reports on water quality and biodiversity. After investigation, necessary steps will be taken.’’
Bhopal, the “City of Lakes,” is at a turning point. It can either rise to preserve its heart and heritage or watch its waters, and with them a part of its soul, slip away.
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