NGT Acts on Jhansi's Historic Laxmi Taal Encroachment

The National Green Tribunal's principal bench in New Delhi is taking a stern approach to curb encroachment and pollution affecting the historic Laxmi Taal in Jhansi. A high-level joint investigation committee has been mandated to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. This committee will include representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Survey of India, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) regional office in Lucknow.

The committee's primary tasks include a site inspection, verification of Laxmi Taal's original boundaries using old revenue records, and identification of any encroachments or constructions within the pond and its catchment area. The Tribunal has given the committee a strict deadline of two months to complete its investigation and submit a status report. The next hearing is scheduled for April 13.

This directive comes after an applicant, Bhanu Sahay, submitted additional information on December 31, 2025, alleging flagrant violation of previous NGT orders from September 14, 2022. Concerns were raised that significant portions of the pond's natural periphery have been illegally filled, and sewage sludge from numerous colonies is being discharged directly into the water body, posing a severe threat to its ecological balance and historical significance dating back to Maharani Lakshmibai's era.