Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation rapped by NGT for illegal encroachments in green belt

The National Green Tribunal Friday rapped the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation over encroachments in the green belts under its jurisdiction and directed the corporation to immediately restore the area. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said when the green belt area was handed over to the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, it was their duty to maintain it in the same condition.

"Strangely, not only the municipal corporation, Ghaziabad had himself made the encroachment but it did not take any steps against those who had also encroached the same. "We dispose of this application with the direction to the Municipal Corporation, Ghaziabad to take immediate steps for removal of encroachment on the green belt.

The said area be restored to its original form, at the cost of the encroachers. However, the Municipal Corporation, Ghaziabad shall submit a compliance report of this order within one month. Registry is directed that on receipt of the report, the same be registered separately and be placed before the court," the bench said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by advocate Shariq Abbas Zaidi and others seeking action against the encroachments in the green belt area and reckless dumping of waste by the municipal bodies. "Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam has illegally allotted parking on the metallic road in front of 'Pacific Mall' situated at Sahibabad. As per the provisions and laws of NGT, parking is not allowed on the metallic roads," it had said.

The plea had alleged that Hotel Radisson Blu which is located at Kaushambi has destroyed the entire green belt situated along with the road solely for their parking purposes and even converted the area into a party lawn. "The green belts of Kaushambi are either destroyed or occupied by the big hotels, malls, hospitals for their parking purpose or they have been converted into dumping zone. This activity is causing a serious threat to the environment (and) people residing nearby are being deprived of fresh air," the petition had said.

(With inputs from agencies.)