In July 2016, the Government of Madhya Pradesh proposed to set up a district court complex on Pipliyahana lake. But people took to mass agitation to save the lake. The relentless fight they put up compelled the state to roll back its decision. However, in late 2016, as an alternative, the state decided to acquire the land inside the Indore agriculture college to build the district court complex. The proposal required 20 acres of land to be taken from the 59-hectare land occupied by the college. This led to a mass protest by farmers, environmentalists and students, backed by the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, Bhartiya Kisan Union and the All India Association of Agricultural Graduates.
According to the protesters, the move would badly impact the research work on crops conducted by the agricultural institute on the land and claimed that the land allotted is one of the most fertile portions in the Malwa-Nimar region favourable to conduct research.
The protesters, however, were not opposed to a court complex and, therefore, came up with alternative options for the complex. Bharatiya Kisan Sangh’s Mahesh Chawdhary said they had proposed the Chhawani Anaaj-dalhan-tilhan Mandi as a viable site for the court complex.
According to him, "The farmers and grain merchants who ply their trade in the mandi (market) have repeatedly demanded that the mandi should be moved out from the area as they were facing an acute shortage of buyers. Constructing the court at the site of the mandi while simultaneously relocating the farmers to sell their grain produce at a different site would be a win-win situation for both the government and buyers," said Chawdhary.
However, in 2018, the government rolled back to its earlier decision to construct the district court complex on Pipliyahana Lake, and the construction work soon began. Google Earth images show that the lake has been filled up to create land for the court. The agitators, under the banner of Pipliyahana Talab Bachao Samiti have vowed to not let the authorities destroy the water body. They have alleged that the court building is impacting the size of the lake, according to a petition filed by social activist Kishore Kodwani against the construction.
In September 2019, a group of lawyers organised a strike opposing the project. The protesters also sent a memorandum to then Chief Minister Kamal Nath to put a halt on the construction work.
In December 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change sent an inspection committee to decide the fate of the project. The committee members assured the protesters that their issues would be mentioned in detail in the report that will be submitted to the ministry.
During the same time, the State Environmental Authority issued corrigendum proscribing construction within 50 meters of FRL of the lake, in compliance with the order of NGT which dismissed Kodwani's petition on the ground that the parcels of land where construction was proposed did not form part of the lake itself. The construction of the court complex was therefore approved, however the pace of construction suffered excessive delays. The Court Complex has now got new deadline of April 2026 for its completion.
Notwithstanding assurances of the officials that the conservation efforts are given due regard, the situation of the lake continues to be grim. Kodwani, while talking to a news media in 2024, said, “After significant construction has happened, we can’t do anything… We have to compromise.” He added that he considers it a win nonetheless given that the complex will now be seven-storey building rather than the four-storey planned earlier to reduce the area of project. Kodwani, however, fears that the existence of the lake is threatened by the solid and sewage waste.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Water bodies, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
Yes
When did it end?
2024
Why did the conflict end?
The State Environmental Authority issued corrigendum proscribing construction within 50 meters of FRL of the lake, in compliance with the order of NGT. Also, the complex will now be seven-storey building rather than the four-storey planned earlier to reduce the area of project. “The earlier construction plan included around half of the lake, but we fought against the encroachment. Initially, it was planned to be a four-storey building, but now it is a seven-storey court to reduce the area of the building.”
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
National Green Tribunal
Case Number
Original Application No. 24/2016 (CZ)
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Law and Legislative Affairs Department
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Pipliyahana Talab Bachao Samiti, Students, Lawyers
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
