The National Green Tribunal has expressed serious displeasure over Bhopal’s failure to act on air pollution control measures and ordered civic authorities to explain how clean air funds have been spent over the last five years.
What Happened
The NGT Central Zone Bench in Bhopal, took strong note of non-compliance by the Bhopal Collector and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation Commissioner. Neither official had filed a response or compliance report in line with the tribunal’s earlier order dated January 7, 2026.
As per the NGT bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, the two officials must now submit their compliance reports within two weeks or appear physically before the tribunal to explain their silence.
The case was filed by Bhopal Citizen’s Forum through its convenor Surendra Tiwari under Original Application No. 181/2025. The forum challenged the state of Madhya Pradesh and other respondents over the deteriorating air quality in the city.
The tribunal has now added the Bhopal Collector and the BMC Commissioner as respondents in the case, making their presence and accountability a formal part of the legal process.
What the NGT Asked
The tribunal directed all respondents to file compliance reports on the strict implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan, known as GRAP, and its periodic review by the High Level Committee.
As per NGT, “there is an urgent need to have a critical review of the various activities undertaken till now under the above said scheme and for adoption of new methods and technologies to make the scheme effective and meaningful to achieve desired results.”
The BMC Commissioner has been specifically directed to file a separate compliance report on fund utilisation before the next hearing on March 18, 2026.
What Is the NCAP and Why It Matters
The National Clean Air Programme was launched by the Government of India in 2019. Its goal was to reduce air pollution by 20 to 30 percent by 2024 in non-attainment cities โ cities that consistently fail to meet national air quality standards. Bhopal is among them.
Funds under the scheme are meant to be spent on dust management, solid waste management, traffic management, and air quality monitoring. The NGT noted it wants a full account of how much money Bhopal received under NCAP and exactly where it was spent over the last five years.
What Happens Next
The matter is listed for hearing on March 18, 2026. If the Bhopal Collector and BMC Commissioner fail to submit their reports by then, they will be required to appear in person before the tribunal. The tribunal has also directed the registry to ensure that official communications reach the correct addresses to prevent future lapses.
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