Govt depts clueless, no action taken on Sikandarpur traders

Five days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned commercial activities at Sikandarpur, Gurgaon officials seemed to be clueless and passed the buck to each other. HT reports.

Five days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned commercial activities at Sikandarpur, Gurgaon officials seemed to be clueless and passed the buck to each other.

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Acting municipal commissioner Chandra Prakash, said, “I think the tribunal has ordered to stop commercial activities at the Sikandarpur marble market. I have directed joint commissioner Anju Chaudhary to take appropriate action against the marble dealers doing commercial activities.”

Chaudhary, however, was not available for comment.

P Raghvendra Rao, financial commissioner cum principal secretary, urban local bodies, Haryana, said he had directed his officials to take immediate action to check commercial activities in the area.

The state pollution department has also not initiated any strict action so far.

“We have been collecting details of the marble market. We also collected air samples to check the pollution level,” said Balraj Ahlawat, regional officer (RO), pollution department, Gurgaon. The forest department, meanwhile, refused to divulge any details about the action taken.

Marble dealers are allegedly violating the Aravalli Notification of 1992 as they undertake activities such as construction, building gas godowns and use of stone cutting machines.

Gurgaon deputy commissioner PC Meena said, “I have not seen the tribunal order and will ask the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, forest and pollution departments and the Haryana Urban Development Authority to force marble dealers to comply with the order.”

The NGT will take stock of the action taken report on Feb 7.