Agartala, August 01, 2025. The Tripura Human Rights Commission (THRC) has taken serious note of alleged inaction by the West Tripura District administration and other authorities over the illegal filling of a water body and unauthorized constructions at Gol Bazar Lake (Maharajganj Bazar), Agartala.
In a strong directive issued by THRC Chairperson Justice Arindam Lodh, notices have been served to the District Magistrate & Collector of West Tripura, Secretary of the Revenue Department, Commissioner of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), Chief Executive Officer of Agartala Smart City Limited (ASCL), and Chairman of the Tripura State Pollution Control Board.
The Commission has asked all the concerned officials to take immediate remedial action in public interest and to submit a detailed compliance report by August 30, 2025.
The intervention came in response to a complaint filed on July 28, 2025, by the Forum for Protection of Environment and Water Bodies. Forum President Nikhil Debnath and Secretary Jayanta Bhattacharjee alleged that despite repeated representations, authorities failed to prevent landfilling and encroachment of the historic lake.
According to the complaint, representations dated December 27, 2022, and May 7, 2024, were submitted to the District Magistrate, highlighting three key issues: unauthorized landfilling and encroachment of Gol Bazar Lake, illegal constructions being undertaken by ASCL, and arbitrary land allotments (touji) over the lake area by AMC.
The forum further cited a Right to Information (RTI) reply dated November 14, 2023, in which the District Magistrate’s office stated that no land diversion permission had been granted for ASCL’s ongoing work — implying that the constructions are not only illegal but lack any formal authorization from competent authorities.
The complainants stressed that the failure of the administration to act violates the citizens’ fundamental right to a clean and sustainable environment, a right protected under the Constitution of India.
The Commission’s order is seen as a significant development in the ongoing debate over urban development versus environmental conservation in the capital city.
