UPPCB pulled up for ‘inadequate’ work on list of encroached ponds

Unhappy with the reports submitted so far, the tribunal asked all top officials, including the district magistrate and the CEOs of the three development authorities of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna to be present during the next hearing on October 12

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) for its role in preparing the list of ponds in the district and directed Noida officials to submit a report on what actions have been taken to revive the encroached ponds.

The NGT said that UPPCB had done no ground work on getting a status of the ponds. (Representative image/HT Archive)

The NGT said that UPPCB had done no ground work on getting a status of the ponds.

The NGT had earlier formed a committee comprising officials from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), UPPCB, the Uttar Pradesh State Wetlands Authority and the district magistrate and asked them to file a report within two months on the encroachment of water bodies and wetlands in Noida.

“The court observed that the officials had merely prepared reports based on previous records and no effort was made to check the current status of the water bodies on ground. The court was also dissatisfied by the effort listed out by authorities that were being taken to revive the encroached ponds,” said Sunil Mathew, counsel for the petitioner.

Unhappy with the reports submitted so far, the tribunal asked all top officials, including the district magistrate and the CEOs of the three development authorities of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna to be present during the next hearing on October 12.

The direction to Noida officials came during the hearing of a petition regarding the lack of protection for wetlands in Noida that can help revive groundwater levels. The petition was filed by a resident [OF], Abhisht Kusum Gupta. In the petition, he highlighted 117 water bodies in the district that need urgent protection but have been encroached upon.

The NGT also asked the DM, who is chairman of the district wetland authority, to submit a detailed report on the actions being taken.

“The court has asked for a clear list of encroached ponds and a status report of actual actions that are being taken on ground for their protection by different agencies. Once the order comes, we will take necessary action as directed,” said Praveen Kumar, regional officer, UPPCB Noida.

The UPPCB had earlier submitted a report as per the revenue records that mentioned that of 1031 natural ponds in Gautam Budh Nagar, 208 have been encroached upon.

There are three tehsils in Gautam Budh Nagar—Sadar, Dadri and Jewar. According to the report, there are 245 ponds in In Sadar, of which 212 are encroachment free. Jewar has 306 ponds, of which 265 are encroachment free. Dadri has 480 ponds, of which 346 are encroachment free.

The petitioner said that all ponds over 2.5 hectares in area need to be given preserved status. “However, the report does not mention how many such ponds exist and what is being done to safeguard them. The lackadaisical efforts being made by the authorities is glaring, especially considering that Gautam Budh Nagar is among th

e water-stressed districts in the country and the groundwater table levels are continuously reducing,” he added.