The residential area of Adampur Khanti in Bhopal has become a stark symbol of environmental neglect, grappling with a toxic combination of contaminated water, frequent fires, and the heavy burden of hosting the city's landfill. For years, residents have complained of health issues and pollution, a situation now officially confirmed by alarming reports.
NGT's Heavy Penalty and the Supreme Court Appeal
In a significant move in 2023, the central bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a substantial penalty of Rs 1.80 crore on the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC). The fine was for causing environmental damage to Bhopal by failing to follow the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016 at the Adampur landfill site. The tribunal cited the piling up of legacy waste and repeated incidents of fire at the dump as key reasons for the penalty.
Challenging this order, the BMC filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. The apex court, in response, directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to investigate and report on whether the 2016 waste disposal rules were being followed and to detail the environmental consequences of any violations.
CPCB's Damning Report on Groundwater
The CPCB submitted its critical report to the Supreme Court on August 5, 2025. Its findings were unequivocal and alarming. The report concluded that groundwater within a 1-kilometer radius of the Adampur dumpsite is not fit for human consumption.
The report highlighted the grave risk from leachate—the toxic liquid that drains from decomposing waste. It warned that if this leachate is disposed of without treatment, it has a high potential to contaminate both land and water resources extensively.
Residents' Health and Persistent Woes
Adding a local voice to the technical findings, environmental activist Subhash C Pandey, who is the respondent in the NGT case, provided further distressing details. He revealed that groundwater samples from Adampur not only tested positive for the dangerous bacteria E. coli but also showed iron levels in the underground water that were a shocking 100 times higher than the permissible limit.
This contamination is part of a larger pattern of suffering for Adampur Khanti, which is one of three locations in Bhopal where E. coli has been detected in the water supply. The area's troubles are compounded by:
- Multiple fires breaking out at the landfill site.
- Ongoing court cases related to the environmental hazard.
- The absence of proper safeguards at the landfill, which sits like a toxic backyard to the community.
For the residents, years of complaints about water problems, illnesses, and unchecked pollution have now been validated by the highest environmental and pollution control bodies in the country, yet a permanent solution remains elusive.
