Authority officials, DM to appear before NGT on Jan 17 to furnish status of water bodies

The NGT summoned the officials while hearing a petition filed by a local resident demanding protection of water bodies of Gautam Budh Nagar from encroachment, their restoration and management

Officials from Noida, Greater Noida, Yamuna expressway authorities, besides officials from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate will appear before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on January 17 in person, to apprise the tribunal about the current status of the water bodies in the district.

Abshisht Kusum Gupta, the petitioner, filed a plea in February 2022, apprising the tribunal about the deteriorating condition of water bodies such as ponds in the district and sought their rejuvenation, restoration, removal of encroachments. (HT Photo)

The NGT summoned the officials while hearing a petition filed by a local resident demanding protection of water bodies of Gautam Budh Nagar from encroachment, their restoration and management.

Abshisht Kusum Gupta, the petitioner, filed a plea in February 2022, apprising the tribunal about the deteriorating condition of water bodies such as ponds in the district and sought their rejuvenation, restoration, removal of encroachments.

“The tribunal took cognisance of the issues highlighted after which, action was taken by the authorities at a few water bodies in the district, information on which was provided by them during subsequent hearings in the case. The tribunal has now sought the progress reports on water bodies and summoned the chief executive officers of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida), the GB Nagar district magistrate, and UPPCB, among other officials, before the NGT,” he said.

Noida authority officials said they are aware of the case and they are in compliance with the tribunal’s orders. Chief executive officer, Noida authority, Lokesh M said, “We are in compliance with the court order.”

Regional officer, Noida, UPPCB, Utsav Sharma said, “Whatever the tribunal issues directions, we will be complying with them. “

District magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said, “All the CEOs from authorities, officials from pollution control board and myself will be appearing before the NGT and we will be producing details on actions taken with regards to removal of encroachments, rejuvenation/restoration of ponds/water bodies across the district.”

As per the data produced by the district administration before the NGT in September 2023, there are a total of 480 water bodies in Dadri of which 134 were found to be encroached on. Till date, 22 ponds in the region have been made encroachment-free.

In Jewar, there are total 293 ponds of which 244 have been freed up from encroachments while 30 are still reeling under encroachments.

Sadar region of the district has 245 ponds and of these, 48 are still encroached upon, the data showed.