Authorities in Gautam Budh Nagar to submit Hindon revival plan

The District Ganga Committee of Gautam Budh Nagar has asked the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to immediately submit their plan of action to remove, resettle and rehabilitate unauthorised colonies on the banks of the Hindon River, into which the latter are directly discharging untreated sewage and waste water.

In its last monthly meeting on December 9, the committee, headed by district magistrate Suhas LY, directed all relevant authorities to submit their plans within a week. Member of the committee and environmentalist Akash Vashishtha informed the team that the plantation plans have not been submitted yet, despite several reminders.

“The directions were issued after I flagged that the two authorities were repeatedly failing to present their action plans in this regard, even after repeated reminders by the committee. Such unauthorised colonies were undoing the efforts of the panel and other concerned bodies to revive and rejuvenate Hindon and Yamuna rivers. Allowing such settlements to exist, develop and discharge was counterproductive to any attempts made by the Ganga committee,” said Vashishtha, secretary, society for the protection of environment and biodiversity.

Directions have also been issued by the committee to all Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDM) and authorities to furnish the details of all vacant plots along Hindon and Yamuna rivers to facilitate plantations to phytoremediate the waters of the two highly polluted rivers.

“In accordance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders on February 22, 2022, the authorities need to provide a list of vacant areas along the Yamuna and Hindon rivers available for plantation to ensure phytoremediation. This will help in the interim treatment of the untapped drains along Ganga and its tributaries. The plan has to be further sent to the state authorities for approval,” state the minutes of the meeting of the Ganga committee.

Noida and Greater Noida have also been asked to prepare a plan to increase the green area under the floodplains of the two rivers, provisions for which are also mentioned in their respective master plans.

Meanwhile, the panchayati raj department has been directed to ensure urban Ganga Sewa Samitis are formed in the areas under the authorities, similar to those that exist in rural areas.

“All directions have been given in accordance with the NGT orders and all departments have to submit their proposals in a time-bound manner so that they can be approved by higher authorities and implemented at the earliest,” said Suhas LY.