Panel submits report on Navyug Market drain in Ghaziabad

Mithilesh Kumar, the corporation’s city health officer who was also part of the joint committee, said, “The implementation of the recommendations and further directions of the tribunal will be carried out by the corporation.”

Months after a city resident filed a petition at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) about pollution and encroachment at a major drain in Navyug Vihar, a joint inspection report submitted by the Uttar Pradesh pollution control board has made recommendations to the Ghaziabad municipal corporation.

People have encroached on the drain and built their shops, at Navyug Market main road in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

According to the petition filed by Manoj Bansal, the drain, adjacent to the headquarters of the civic body and Ghaziabad development authority, is meant to carry run-off during rainfall, but sewage and industrial effluent are discharged into it in violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

It said the drain has been covered and concretised by the civic body against the recommendations of an expert committee appointed by NGT on October 13, 2014, pertaining to the restoration of Yamuna river.

NGT in July directed the formation of a joint committee comprising officials from the National Capital Region planning board, UPPCB, the municipal corporation and the district magistrate, to prepare an action taken report within two months.

“The joint inspection was carried out on November 21 and a report was submitted before the tribunal in December for further directions. Several recommendations have been made in the report,” said Utsav Sharma, regional officer of UPPCB.

The report says the civic body and representatives of land-owning agencies should ensure that “activities along the drain’s catchment area are in accordance with approved land use as this will further ensure regulation of solid as well as liquid waste finding its way into the drain”.

The report says the drain should only be covered in accordance with the Function Plan on Drainage for National Capital Region (approved in 65th meeting of the planning committee of the NCR Planning Board).

It has also been recommended that the corporation should conduct a survey of the drain and ensure there is no mixing or leak from sewer into the drain. “Bar screens should be installed at adequate locations and solid waste finding its way into the drain should be removed regularly from these areas,” the report said.

“The encroachment and concretisation of drains is a major issue in Ghaziabad and prevalent in many areas. These hinder the cleaning process and the solid waste from localities and markets finds its way into the drains. In some areas, the drains have been concretised and covered without any check or enforcement against them,” said Himanshu Mittal, councillor from Kavi Nagar.

Mithilesh Kumar, the corporation’s city health officer who was also part of the joint committee, said, “The implementation of the recommendations and further directions of the tribunal will be carried out by the corporation.”