Kaushambi pollution: NGT forms panel to examine situation

The National Green Tribunal today formed a panel comprising officials of the pollution control boards of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to examine air quality, noise pollution and traffic congestion near the Kaushambi bus terminal on Delhi border and asked it to submit an analysis report.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar also directed the committee comprising senior officers of the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCC) and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to personally visit the affected areas and "formulate short-term and long-term action plans to ensure prevention and control of pollution".
The bench was hearing a contempt plea filed by Kaushambi Apartments Residents Welfare Association (KARWA) in which they have contended that despite the tribunal's order, the authorities have failed to remove encroachments near the bus terminal.

Advocate Bhumika Kapoor, who appeared for the applicants, sought initiation of contempt proceedings and action against the authorities and said the pollution level in the area is very high due to presence of two bus terminals (Anand Vihar and Kaushambi) within 200 metres of each other.
The bench asked the committee to hold a meeting within a week and directed the Ghaziabad municipal authority, including its commissioner, to attend the meeting.
The green panel said that the committee should deal with three aspects including "how far the tribunal's earlier directions have been complied with and what is the extent of performance of the respective statutory functioning of these bodies and the ground reality".

It directed that "samples of air quality, noise pollution" be taken and an analysis report be placed before the tribunal in two weeks thereafter.

"Report regarding analysis of traffic congestion be also filed within two weeks thereafter. List the matter for further direction on March 17," the bench said.
The counsel for the Ghaziabad civic body submitted that it has recently conducted a drive to remove encroachments and all these were demolished and garbage was removed.
To this, the counsel for the Kaushambi residents said the municipal authority has utterly failed in its duty and the encroachers have returned in the area.

The bench said, "They (applicant) are not saying something strange. They are saying what you (authority) should do in the normal course. Why are you not doing anything?"
The green panel had earlier imposed a penalty of Rs five lakh on the public authorities of Ghaziabad for "failing to discharge their statutory duties".
It had passed the order after going through an inspection report submitted by a committee constituted earlier, which had said that there was high air pollution in the area besides reckless dumping of waste, burning of garbage, traffic congestion and unregulated parking on the road.
It had also issued notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for flouting environment norms in carrying out construction work near Anand Vihar ISBT and Kaushambi area.

The tribunal had earlier constituted a panel comprising officials from the Central Pollution Control Board, DPCC and UPPCB and asked them to submit an inspection report.