Delhi- UP border pollution under NGT scanner

National Green Tribunal has directed Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Uttar Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the pollution levels in and around Kaushambi in Ghaziabad

Traffic chaos near the Kaushambi Bus Terminal on the Delhi border has caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal which on Monday called for an inspection of the area and sought a detailed report on the issue.

The National Green Tribunal has directed state committees to take ambient air quality samples of areas in and around Kaushambi in Ghaziabad. Seen here, garbage been burnt in front of Vaishali Metro

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar constituted a committee comprising officials from the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Uttar Pollution Control Board and ordered them to submit an inspection report within three weeks.

“The committee shall inspect the site in question and also take ambient air quality samples. They shall find out different sources of air pollution including vehicular pollution resulting from jams in the area,” the Bench said while posting the matter for next hearing on April 21.

The green panel was hearing a petition filed by Kaushambi Apartments Residents Welfare Association (KARWA) which had contended that the presence of two bus terminus (Anand Vihar and Kaushambi bus terminal) within 200 metres of each other has aggravated air pollution in the area.

During the hearing today, the residents welfare association contended that there was illegal parking on metalled roads in and around Kaushambi on single to four lane roads which cause traffic jams.

It alleged that despite prohibitory orders private diesel buses were plying in the area in an unregulated manner and the Uttar Pradesh police was not taking any action against the violators.

KARWA claimed that Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation has not concretised their bus terminal in Kaushambi resulting in massive dust pollution from loose soil.

Earlier, the Tribunal had reprimanded the UP government for its failure to control traffic near Kaushambi Bus Terminal and directed the traffic police to penalise offending vehicles.