Ponds and lake side encroachment not removed even after NGT order petitioner wrote letter to chief secretary – lake and pond side encroachment problem in ghaziabad after the order of the NGT

Ghaziabad: Various instructions are given to the machinery of government by the National Green Tribunal in matters of environment and pollution. But these instructions are not followed. The same goes for the Karkar model, where a petition has been filed with the NGT on behalf of a local resident, Sushil Raghav, to remove encroachments from the shores of various water bodies like lakes and ponds.

On his petition, the NGT had issued an order in March 2021 to the Chief Secretary of UP and DM Ghaziabad to take action in the whole matter and ensure the removal of shoreline encroachments from all lakes and ponds. The petitioner alleged that no action has been taken even after two years of this NGT order. Regarding this, he again wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of UP and DM Ghaziabad to follow NGT’s orders.

Sushil Raghav said if orders given by NGT are not followed, he will file contempt charges against all those responsible. Citing the old encroachment report, Sushil Raghav said that in his letter he quoted a letter submitted by DM Ghaziabad regarding the encroachment in 2020. In which DM Ghaziabad himself said that whatever lake or the pond located there, up to 72.90% of the area of ​​their shores is encroached. Due to the pollution of this lake and pond, the groundwater level is also polluted.

There are a total of 261 ponds, lakes, wells, etc. in all of Ghaziabad, of which only 46 water sources are free from encroachment. DM Ghaziabad Ritu Maheshwari had definitely taken action in 2021 on the order of NGT in Arthla but this action was not taken from the level from which NGT had issued the order. Sushil Raghav said that there are many places like Arthla Lake, Makanpur Talab, etc. where there are a lot of encroachments and action needs to be taken here.