Twin drives to reboot grassroots environmental efforts in GB Nagar

The campaigns aim to respond to the increasing strain on the district’s rivers, wetlands and green cover, with a structured, participatory approach that goes beyond routine plantation drives, said officials.

The Gautam Budh Nagar administration is set to launch two initiatives—Green Week and Green Chaupal—aimed at boosting local participation and community dialogue to revive ecological balance across urban and rural areas, officials said on Tuesday.

The Gautam Budh Nagar administration is set to launch two initiatives—Green Week and Green Chaupal. (Ht Photo)

While the drives will be locally led, officials said Green Chaupal is part of a larger initiative by the Uttar Pradesh government to transform every village into a green village and increase the state’s green cover to 15% by 2030.

The campaigns aim to respond to the increasing strain on the district’s rivers, wetlands and green cover, with a structured, participatory approach that goes beyond routine plantation drives, said officials.

Under the state’s Green Village Mission, each Green Chaupal will be chaired by the village head and held on the third Friday of every month. Teachers, SHG members, farmers and anganwadi workers will collaborate to plan micro-level plantation drives and ensure sapling protection.

Green Week will be observed every Friday with activities such as tree plantations and plastic waste awareness campaigns, while Green Chaupal will function as a monthly rural outreach platform.

“We want environmental awareness to go beyond slogans and symbolic events. Green Week and Green Chaupal aim to integrate ecology into everyday governance and daily life, whether in classrooms, panchayats, or roadside plantations,” said District Magistrate (DM) Manish Kumar Verma.

Officials said all urban and rural bodies have been directed to submit time-bound reports on pond restoration. Although the plan was approved during a recent multi-departmental meeting chaired by the district magistrate, groundwork has already begun.

“The forest department has been tasked with geo-tagging every new tree and creating a system to monitor earlier plantations. Unused government land suitable for afforestation is being identified, and clear responsibility for maintenance will be assigned before plantation starts,” said divisional forest officer Pramod Kumar Srivastava.

Several tributaries of the Yamuna are reportedly facing encroachment, while many ponds are either polluted or vanishing due to unchecked development. As part of its wetlands initiative, the administration has instructed municipal and block-level officers to submit progress reports on pond beautification, with redesign plans factoring in lighting, fencing, cleanliness, and tourism potential.

Additionally, pollution enforcement is being intensified, particularly during the monsoon season. Orders have been issued for thorough drain cleaning, addressing waterlogging hotspots, and ensuring strict compliance with NGT and Pollution Control Board guidelines.

In a related development, the district administration last week submitted a compliance report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 1,018 ponds across Dadri, Sadar, and Jewar tehsils. Of the 152.95 hectares of pond area verified through historical 1359 Fasli records, nearly 50 hectares were found encroached. Officials said this data will be used to plan targeted restoration and fencing as part of the wetlands campaign.