GHAZIABAD: In response to a petition claiming unauthorized construction within the Sai Upwan city forest, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed the district magistrate to prevent any illegal activities in the forest until the next hearing date.
The interim ruling was issued on July 2 by a bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Afroz Ahmad, following a petition from former municipal corporator Rajendra Tyagi.
According to counsel for the applicant, Akash Vasishtha, approximately 70,000 trees have either died or been destroyed due to non-forest activities in Sai Upwan. The bench acknowledged the applicant’s request for interim relief, arguing that Sai Upwan is designated as a city forest under the Ghaziabad Master Plans for 2021 and 2031, and that the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam is undertaking illegal construction within this area.
The bench scheduled the next hearing for September 16, noting the absence of the respondent. Thus, “the arguments presented by the applicant remain unchallenged.”
The tribunal is currently reviewing two separate cases related to Sai Upwan. The initial application (OA) 168, lodged on February 26, addresses wastewater discharge and the dumping of construction debris in the region, while OA 303 pertains to alleged illegal constructions and damage to the forest. OA 303 came about after the tribunal’s March 19 order, which instructed the applicant to file a distinct petition concerning illegal constructions.
The petition claims that activities such as road construction and land reclamation have altered the land’s nature. “Thousands of trees have been harmed, and a substantial area of at least 100 acres, which could have been utilized for afforestation to mitigate air pollution, has also been lost,” Vashishtha stated.
Additionally, the petition argues that the non-forest utilization of this area blatantly violates the action plan outlined in the National Clean Air Programme, enforced by the CPCB, under sections 16(2)(b) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and contradicts the micro plan for non-attainment cities prepared by the UPPCB, concerning carbon footprint control under Section 17 of the Act.
During the hearing of OA 303 on May 15, the tribunal issued notices to multiple authorities, including the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the UP government, and the Ghaziabad Development Authority, among others.
