Government efforts to promote tourism in Chandanpura, an area famed for Bhopal’s “urban tigers”, have raised fresh environmental concerns. The Tourism Department has sought about 4.10 acres of government land here, and on August 27 this year, the Tehsildar of TT Nagar Circle issued a public notice inviting objections within 10 days. However, the notice did not clearly spell out what the department intends to build on the land, leaving conservationists worried.
Environmental activists warn that the area is already under heavy pressure from human activity, and any new construction could harm the local tiger population. They argue that roads, colonies, resorts, hotels and educational institutions should be completely barred in this sensitive zone to protect its fragile ecosystem.
Chandanpura is actually located between Kaliyasot and Kolar reservoirs and is part of Bhoj Wetland. Several petitions have been filed in the NGT and High Court regarding its conservation. One such petitioner, Bhopal-based environmental activist Rashid Noor Khan, says,
“Just a short distance from the survey numbers for which this government land has been requested, there is a Forest Department board. It states that this is a tiger movement area. Flouting forest rules, construction work and tourism are being permitted here.”
It’s noteworthy that the Tourism Department has requested land with survey number 33/1 covering 1.78 acres and survey number 33/2 covering 2.39 acres. Khan says that according to Bhopal’s 2005 Master Plan, this place is reserved for a Botanical Garden.
Another environmental activist, Satish Nayak, told Ground Report that if the administration gives the land to the Tourism Department, they will approach the High Court. Satish Nayak further says,
“Bhopal has a small territory where 20 to 25 tigers roam and breed. It was first destroyed by making it an urban forest, and now it’s being turned into a recreational site.”
Balancing Conservation and Development
In July 2024, environmental activist Rashid Noor Khan filed a petition in the NGT. The petition stated that tree cutting and illegal colony construction were taking place in the Chandanpura forest area, affecting tiger activity in the region. While hearing the petition, the NGT formed a five-member committee including officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, Pollution Control Board, and other agencies.
This committee was tasked with conducting site visits and providing a detailed report. The NGT clearly stated that, although this area may not be legally declared a Tiger Reserve, given its ecological importance, no irregularities would be tolerated.
However, in November 2024, the committee submitted a nearly 200-page report, after which the situation became even more controversial. While the report acknowledged that Chandanpura forest is extremely important for tigers and their movement has been recorded there, the committee suggested conditional permission rather than completely stopping development. It suggested that the state government prepare a comprehensive development plan that balances both conservation and development.
The committee suggested measures like installing warning boards, preventing human-wildlife conflict, and following Forest Department recommendations. However, the petitioner said that the committee did not take a strict stance on illegal constructions and encroachments, nor did it clearly identify which projects violated environmental laws.
Legal dilemma
In April 2025, the NGT gave its final order on this matter, rejecting the demand to completely stop construction. The Tribunal said that since this area is neither declared a Tiger Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, nor notified as a protected forest, it’s not possible to impose complete restrictions.
The legal status of Chandanpura land makes these conservation efforts even more complex. In this area, villages have approximately 160 hectares of land used for non-forestry activities. About 6 hectares of land is private property, and this area also includes part of a university, a school, and poly houses/farm houses. Additionally, 357 hectares of land fall under the Forest Department, which the Revenue Department had given to the Forest Department for high-tech plantation.
The NGT also acknowledged that 50 to 60 colonies already exist here with valid approvals and cannot be denied. However, it also directed the Directorate of Town and Village Planning to mandatorily include Forest Department recommendations in all future projects and ensure compliance with sustainable development principles.
But Nayak alleges corruption against this directorate, saying that they have given permission for “recreational activities in Chandanpura too, based on money.”
Tigers Confined
The Tribunal also ordered the Madhya Pradesh government to clearly demarcate the forest areas around Bhopal and keep them secure so that tiger habitats and corridors are not affected. Tigers use such corridors to move from one forest to another. This is extremely important for genetic diversity and breeding among them. But when roads, farmhouses, and colonies are built between forests, these pathways are broken. The result is that tigers become confined to small sections.
A 2013 study of 273 tigers in the 45,000 km² area of Satpuda-Maikal shows that construction work, mining, road and railway expansion between forests over the past two centuries have severely hampered gene flow among tigers.
Where forest corridors remain, collective tiger migration continues. But due to the breaking and fragmentation of corridors, their small groups have become isolated. This research considers ‘corridor connectivity’ essential for tiger population stability.
In recent years, tigers have been spotted several times in Bhopal and surrounding settlements. Just a few days ago, a cub of tigress T-123 attacked student Mohammad Bora, who was walking on the campus of Jagran Lake City University. Environmental activists believe these incidents are the result of this imbalance. Khan says:
“The administration wants human-animal conflict to increase. If these activities continue, negative feelings about tigers will begin to develop among local people. Later, they will make noise and label this tiger as a ‘man-eater’.”
Wildlife activists believe that if conservation is truly to be prioritised, no major construction should be permitted here in the name of development. Regular review and strict monitoring of existing structures is necessary. The Chandanpura case is actually part of that bigger question that repeatedly arises across the country: can urban development and wildlife conservation go hand in hand? In rapidly expanding cities like Bhopal, saving forests is not easy. But if such corridors are lost, the presence of tigers will remain limited to sanctuaries only.
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