Bhopal’s Upper Lake is not just a lake, it’s the lifeline of the city’s water supply. This lifeline is now struggling with microplastics.The upper Lake — also called Bhojtal or Bada Talab — is a sprawling, 11th-century man-made reservoir built by Raja Bhoj, and remains one of India’s most historically significant waterbodies. In our previous two reports, we explained how the Upper Lake’s water is being used for agricultural irrigation and is consumed by 40% of the city’s population.
This is affecting crop quality and human health. Now the question arises: what technologies are available to tackle this crisis? Are the existing water treatment plants in Bhopal capable of dealing with this threat?
Ancient Lake, Modern Crisis
Bhopal’s Upper Lake, a 1,000-year-old ecological lifeline, provides drinking water to 40% of the city and sustains local livelihoods. Yet studies warn it is overwhelmed by microplastics, sewage, and encroachment, raising urgent questions about water safety. How clean is the water residents rely on daily? Scientists caution that without timely action, these pollutants could trigger serious public-health problems, including long-term risks like cancer.
Bhopal Municipal Corporation supplies water to the city’s population of 23.39 lakh from four sources. From these four water sources, 460 MLD of water is supplied. Currently, the city needs 514 MLD of water. To put that in perspective, it’s enough to fill over 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools every single day—all used to provide drinking water, support households, and sustain livelihoods across the city.
Upper Lake: The most prominent water source is the Upper Lake. Its catchment area is 361 square kilometers, which irrigates 1500 hectares in 87 villages. It provides drinking water to 40% of the city’s population. From this, 110 MLD of water is supplied daily. Water is treated through 14 water treatment plants. This treated water is delivered to people through pump stations and pipelines. Upper Lake water is supplied to areas of old Bhopal (Hamidiya Road, Peer Gate, Jahangirabad, Mangalwara, Govindpura, Nadra Bus Stand, Ibrahimpura, Bairgarh, etc.).
Kolar Dam: 170 MLD of water is taken from here. New areas like Hoshangabad Road, Kolar Road, MP Nagar, and Rachna Nagar get water supply from here. Before supply, its water is treated in 1 water treatment plant located at Kolar.
Kerwa: Water supply from Kerwa Dam has been ongoing since 2017. 20 MLD of water is taken from here, which is supplied to areas like Kolar region and Sant Nagar. Kerwa’s water is treated at Mahukheda Water Treatment Plant.
Narmada River: 160 MLD is being taken from Narmada. This water is supplied to a population of 7 lakh in areas like Arera Colony, Shyamala Hills, Bagmugalia, and 1100 Quarters.
Besides this, there are many other small water bodies located in the city, which are important for irrigation and other uses at the local level. But their contribution to drinking water supply is limited.
The Treatment Reality
17 water treatment plants operate in Bhopal. Out of these, 14 water treatment plants take water from the Upper Lake and treat it. The main water treatment plants for purifying Upper Lake water include Bhadbhada, Shyamala Hills-1, Shyamala Hills-2, and Manuabhan Tekri. While one water treatment plant each is working to purify water from Narmada River, Kerwa Dam, and Kolar Dam.
All water treatment plants in the city use Rapid Sand Filtration (RSF) technology. Udit Garg, Executive Engineer in charge of Water Works Department and Sewage Cell, Bhopal Municipal Corporation, explains how water is purified in this technology:
“This technology works in five stages to purify water.”
First stage – Screening: In this, water is filtered through a 5-10 mm mesh. This stops large waste like leaves and bottles.
Coagulation and Flocculation: Here, chemicals like alum (20-50 mg/L) are added to collect particles. This traps 20-30% of microplastics (100-600 microns).
Dr. Surya Singh, who was part of the research team that conducted a study on microplastics present in Bhopal’s Upper Lake in February 2023 by the National Institute for Research in Environmental Health Bhopal, says:
“Particles smaller than 45 microns, especially fibers, cannot bind with chemicals from existing treatment plants and escape.”
Sedimentation: In this process, heavy particles settle at the bottom. This can remove microplastics of 27-149 microns. While light particles like polythene and disposables keep floating in the water.
Main stage – Rapid Sand Filtration: In this, water is passed through layers of sand (0.5-1 mm). For this process, 2-3 meter deep beds are built in the plant, which stop 70-80% of microplastics (larger than 45 microns). But particles smaller than 45 microns pass through the sand pores and remain in drinking water.
Finally, Disinfection: In the final stage, germs are killed with chlorine (0.5-1 mg/L) and UV rays (40 mj/cm²). However, microplastics are chemically stable, so they are not removed even in this stage.
Cleaning or Failing?
However, it’s not that our water treatment systems are completely incapable of removing microplastics. These plants are working at their limited capacity and are quite effective in removing microplastics to a considerable extent. But they are not capable of removing particles smaller than 45 microns.
Diksha Chaudhary, scientist at Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, says:
“Currently, our water treatment plants are working on Rapid Sand Filtration (RSF) technology, which is incapable of completely removing microplastics.”
Diksha further explains, “This happens because particles smaller than 45 microns (especially fibers) cannot bind with chemicals and escape. In such cases, they remain present in water even after treatment.” Diksha is currently working on water purification equipment.
Scientific reports also confirm that these rapid sand filtration plants remove 80% of microplastics, but particles smaller than 45 microns remain in the water.
Meanwhile, AMPRI (Advanced Materials Process Research Institute), a research institute of the Government of India, took samples from two water bodies in Bhopal (Upper Lake, Lower Lake) and two water treatment plants (Birla Temple and Kerwa Dam WTP) and tested for microplastics. This test report was also included by CAG (Indian Audit and Account Department) in the Waste Management in Urban Local Bodies Audit Report in 2024.
This report revealed that Upper Lake water contained 1480 to 2050 particles per cubic meter, while Lower Lake had 2160 to 2710 per cubic meter.
The report found that before treatment at Kerwa Dam plant, there were 820 microplastic particles per cubic meter in water, and after treatment, 450 were found. Similarly, at Birla Temple water treatment, 790 particles were found before treatment and 330 particles per cubic meter after treatment. According to the report, microplastics were found in the samples in the form of fibers, fragments, and pellets.
STPs Fail Microplastic Test
18 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are operating in Bhopal. Out of these, 8 treat sewage and drain water in Upper Lake, 8 in small lakes, and one each in Kerwa-Kolar. This is later released into water bodies. These sewage treatment plants work on traditional primary and secondary treatment (SBR, UASB, AGBR) technology.
In this, waste is stopped through mesh in the primary treatment process, and later primary settling tanks are used to settle heavy particles through the sedimentation process. However, in secondary treatment, biological treatment is done. This uses Activated Sludge Process (ASP) or trickling filter. Later, chemical substances are separated through coagulation-flocculation. While most STPs in the city lack tertiary treatment (advanced filter or disinfection), some have chlorination.
Meanwhile, CPCB’s latest report is shocking. According to this report, 285 MLD sewage is being treated daily in the city. Out of this, only 40 MLD sewage can be treated. But 285 MLD, i.e., 24.5 crore liters of sewage, enters the lake daily.
However, the Municipal Corporation claims that 18 STPs and sewage pump stations are operating in the city, which has a sewage treatment capacity of 204 MLD.
According to a study published in Water Science and Technology in March 2025, the highest amount of microplastics was found in sludge in Bhopal’s STPs. This was followed by inlet and outlet positions. About 13 types of microplastics (including polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene-terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyurethane, polyamide, polystyrene, polyvinyl stearate were the most common types of microplastics) were confirmed. These cannot be removed by traditional treatment processes. These sewage plants can only remove 20-30% of microplastics, and the remaining particles remain in water or sludge.
This study found the presence of microplastics in 3 and 4 sewage treatment plants in Bhopal and Indore respectively. For the study, samples were collected from seven selected sewage plants in Bhopal and Indore in April and July 2023 respectively. It was found that 3-35.5 items/liter in STP inlets and 2-13.5 items/liter microplastics were found in outlets.
Dr. Surya Singh, who was involved in the study and is a scientist at ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH), says:
“Appropriate technologies are needed to efficiently remove microplastics from STP outlets/sludge.”
Singh further says, “High amounts of microplastics (16-389 particles/kg) have been found in the sludge of STPs in Bhopal and Indore, which is contaminating soil and groundwater when used as fertilizer in fields.”
Dr. Archana Singh, Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, Bhopal, also warns:
“Small microplastic particles easily escape through sewage plant filters. If sludge is used as fertilizer in fields, it contaminates soil and groundwater.”
Four Components, Many Questions
Various works are being undertaken by the urban administration to deal with pollution-encroachment of the lake, which are proving inadequate. Three decades after the Japan-funded Bhoj Wetland Project, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is preparing the Upper Lake Restoration Plan. This plan, conducted with the cooperation of Family Planning and Coordination Organization (APCO), is being shaped by experts from SPA Bhopal and MANIT.
BMC Commissioner Harendra Narayan said: “The integrated development plan has been formally constructed. This is being finalized. After this, approval will be taken from the center so that the plan can get funding under the national conservation initiative for UNESCO-Ramsar sites.”
Narayan further said, “This project has four components. These include dredging (removing silt and water hyacinth from lake-river), upgrading water treatment systems, watershed conservation, and infrastructure development around sensitive areas.”
Besides this, the state government has also approved the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT-2.0) scheme. Rs 582 crores will be spent on this project. This will add 61 million liters per day (MLD) water supply capacity in Bhopal.
BMC’s City Engineer Udit Garg says: “This project will meet the water supply for the city’s potential population till 2040.”
Currently, the city’s water supply depends on 450 MLD. With new capacity expansion, Bhopal’s total water supply capacity will increase from 514 MLD to 575 MLD. The water supply system dependent on sources like Upper Lake, Kerwa, Kolar, and Narmada will be expanded.
In response to microplastic pollution in local water bodies, Udit Garg says, “About 308 MLD wastewater is generated in the city, while its treatment capacity is 204 MLD. About 104 MLD wastewater cannot be treated. This flows into the city’s lakes and water bodies.”
Garg further added: “Under the AMRUT scheme, new treatment plants and pump stations with a capacity of 171 MLD will be established at a cost of Rs 160 crores. If the wastewater generated daily is completely treated, we can get considerable relief from the problem of microplastics.”
Besides this, focus is being placed on increasing the capacity of 18 water treatment plants present in Bhopal. But consideration is not being given to removing microplastics. However, environmental activists have called all these efforts by the Municipal Corporation inadequate.
Advanced Solutions, Ignored
The water of Bhopal’s Upper Lake was once suitable for direct drinking without filtering but not anymore. Today, the same lake’s water has been placed in B category, which means “useful only for outdoor activities or bathing, not suitable for drinking without filtering.”
Scientists and environmentalists have suggested adopting several advanced technologies such as membrane filtration (RO and UF), hydrogel technology, constructed wetlands, and pyrolysis to deal with microplastics. These technologies are being used in different countries around the world. All these technologies are capable of removing 90-99% of microplastics. But in India, this technology is limited to laboratories. This is why emphasis is not being placed on these technologies in Bhopal.
Dr. Pradeep Nandi, Director General of National Center for Human Settlement and Environment (NCHSE), criticizes the administration’s working style:
“Microplastics are present in almost all water bodies of the city. No plan by the administration to remove microplastics is visible. Therefore, city residents should be concerned about their health themselves.”
Dr. Nandi further suggested, “RO and UF water filters working on membrane filtration technology should be installed in homes. This is most effective in removing small microplastics, but its maintenance is expensive.”
However, in India, this technology is being used as household water purifiers (Kent and Aquaguard) in metropolises like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. Membrane filtration (RO and UF) technology passes water through membranes with 0.1-1 nanometer pores at high pressure (10-30 bar), which removes 99.9% of microplastics.
Meanwhile, environmental activists and scientists have unanimously suggested that India’s water bodies are struggling with microplastic pollution. Solutions to this are a research topic in the initial stages. However, if community cooperation, public awareness, plastic management, and strict compliance with regulations are followed, considerable relief from this problem can be achieved.
Environmental activist Subhash C Pandey, who has filed several petitions in NGT regarding encroachment on Upper Lake and cruise-motorboat issues, suggests:
“BMC will have to work immediately on waste management and sewage diversion near the lake. Community awareness campaigns are also necessary.”
Bhopal may have secured second place in Swachh Survekshan 2025, but the condition of the city’s water bodies, especially the iconic Upper Lake, remains alarming. The lake is choking on microplastics from urban waste and untreated sewage. Despite 17 water treatment plants and 18 STPs, including eight around Upper Lake, microplastics continue to slip through.Initiatives like the Bhoj Wetland Project, AMRUT-2.0, and the plastic ban exist, but environmental activists say they are not enough. Without advanced technologies, stricter waste management, and greater citizen awareness, this problem will persist.
The question for every Bhopali is urgent: Can we save Upper Lake from the rising tide of microplastics? The answer depends on collective action from the BMC, scientists, and the city’s residents to protect this vital heritage and lifeline.
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