NGT notice to Centre over construction on green belts in G'bad

Illegal construction on the green belts in Ghaziabad area of the national capital region today caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal which was dealing with a plea which sought the demolition of such structures to maintain green cover.
A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi issued notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Uttar Pradesh government, Ghaziabad Development Authority, UP State Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC) and others, seeking their replies within three weeks.
The green panel's notice came in the wake of a plea filed by Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity (SPENBIO) and Ghaziabad resident Sushil Raghav seeking demolition of unauthorized and illegal structures located on green belts in the city.

The plea claimed that as per the Master Plan 2021 of Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) about 2,484 hectares out of 15,554 hectares (15.97 per cent) of the total area covered under the Master Plan was earmarked as green, but due to GDA's "inaction", the green cover was getting reduced day after day.
"Most of the green belts under the Master Plan 2021 of GDA are lying encroached, with illegal constructions scattered across such green belts and hazardous municipal wastes disposed off," the plea, filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary, said.
"GDA is constructing a recreation City Club in the green belt in Sector-8, Raj Nagar, which is also an extension of the Central Park situated along ALT Centre road (erstwhile Rani Jhansi Marg).

"The same was reserved as Green Belt by the Improvement Trust Ghaziabad during the development of Raj Nagar colony after acquiring the land of Raheespur and Jatwara Kalan villages under various provisions of the Land Acquisition Act 1894 from 1962 to 1980," it said.
The plea has also sought directions to GDA, Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam to stop any kind of disposal of municipal solid waste and discharge of sewage in Sai Upwan city forest.
The petitioners have also alleged that GDA was allotting shops in Raj Nagar District Centre (RDC) green belt...The entire RDC area, including DM office, has been allowed to come up by GDA on a green belt (as per December 1, 1972 Layout Plan of Raj Nagar," the plea added.