NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has directed concerned persons associated with 38 nurseries to appear before it after they allegedly refused to accept notice issued to them for causing pollution on the floodplains of river Yamuna here.
A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed that the notice be served through the concerned SHO who will ensure service to all of them.
It asked all the noticees to show cause why they will not be directed to pay environmental compensation in terms of Section 15 of NGT, Act, 2010.
"The counsel appearing for the NCT, Delhi and DDA submit that the notices were issued. However, as they have not been accepted by persons present on behalf of those nurseries... we direct notice be issued and served to all the 38 nurseries, the list of which have been placed before us," the bench said.
The green panel also noted that various illegal activities were being carried out on Yamuna floodplains which belong to Delhi Development Authority.
During the proceedings, DDA also told the bench that most of the licenses/leases have already been revoked and some of them have no right whatsoever yet there was encroachment on the flood plain.
The matter is listed for next hearing on September 11. The Tribunal had earlier issued notice to various illegal nurseries and private persons after perusing a report submitted by DDA.
Taking note of DDA's inspection that around 3,000 nurseries were operating, the green panel had directed it to submit a complete report on nurseries and other commercial activities going on in the floodplains of the river.
The Tribunal had noted that illegal activities relating to cement pots and nurseries were going on without permission from DDA, which is causing pollution as broken pots are being converted into debris and deposited on the riverbed.
It had also stated that these nurseries, which are getting plants in plastic bags are not collecting them and burning plastic on the river bank.
DDA's counsel Kush Sharma had told the Tribunal that when a team, including him, and a DMRC official went to check for the source of the construction debris in the vicinity of Yamuna Bank Metro Station, they found commercial activities going on in the jhuggi clusters.
The Tribunal had earlier announced a fine of Rs 5,000 on individuals throwing waste or religious items in the river.
It had also banned dumping of construction material into the Yamuna while imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on violators and barred real estate developers from carrying out any construction work on the floodplains.