NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department to consider a complaint regarding the alleged illegal extraction of groundwater in Noida & Greater Noida and take appropriate action.
A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad passed the order while hearing a petition alleging that the private builders, industries, and individuals had been illegally extracting groundwater Sectors 145 & 153 of Noida and Sectors 94 & 150 in the Tech Zone area of Greater Noida.
The petition, filed by environmental conservationist Vikrant Tongad, claimed that a number of letters had been written to the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and other authorities concerned seeking action to prevent illegal groundwater extraction, but to no avail.
The tribunal said that the applicant was required to make an appropriate complaint to the competent authority, which was the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department.
“Hence, we dispose of the original application permitting the applicant to file a detail complaint along with supporting material to the competent authority of the Respondent 7 (Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department), who, on receipt of the same, will duly consider the complaint of the applicant in accordance with law, will get the ground verification done, and, if any tube wells/ bore wells are found to be illegally operating, will take appropriate remedial and punitive action in accordance with law by duly following the principles of natural justice,” the NGT said.
The tribunal directed that the exercise be completed as expeditiously as possible. The NGT had earlier in April issued a notice to the Delhi government and others on the alleged large-scale illegal extraction of groundwater in Najafgarh in the Capital.
The plea had alleged “collusion and inaction on the part of the authorities,” including the Delhi Jal Board. The bench has directed the respondents to file their responses by July 10.
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