Ghaziabad: NGT forms panel with officials to check building sites for violations

GHAZIABAD: The National Green Tribunal has formed a committee whose members include officials of the Union environment ministry, the central and Uttar Pradesh pollution control boards and the Ghaziabad district magistrate to inspect construction sites across the city and report violations of environmental norms.

The committee has been asked to file its report within three months.

The NGT set up the panel in response to a petition filed by the Saviour Park Apartment Owners Association in Ghaziabad, which alleged that the necessary environmental clearances were not taken for the project

The petition in the green tribunal claims the developer built 1,102 units against the 980 units sanctioned and groundwater was harnessed during construction when the rules clearly state that only water from a sewage treatment plant (STP) can be used for the purpose. “The project proponent dug several groundwater extraction borewells to use fresh water in the construction process as well as for drinking purposes without requisite NOC (no-objection certificate) from Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA),” the petition claims.

The NGT bench led by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed senior environment ministry and pollution control board officials to conduct an audit of the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to find out how frequently such violations are taking place.

It directed the committee to visit the site and interact with stakeholders to verify the status of compliance. Based on the findings, statutory authorities may take remedial action, including stopping creation of third-party rights and further construction activity if laws are found to have been ciolated, the tribunal said.

Iqbal Singh Sodhi of Savfab Buildtech, the developer of the society, told TOI, “The map has been sanctioned by the Ghaziabad Development Authority and the project is registered with UP-Rera. Had there been violations, it is for the competent authority to take actions against us. We have applied with relevant departments seeking permission for use of groundwater.”