GHAZIABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has identified a portion of land in Pasunda village, Loni, previously documented as a lake in revenue records, where a residential project is being developed. The tribunal has ordered the district administration to eliminate encroachments and safeguard the waterbody.
An NGO, Society for Voice of Human Rights and Justice, filed the case, claiming illegal conversion of the lake into a residential colony. The petition referenced alterations in land mutation for development by Mahalaxmi Land and Finance Company involving survey numbers 1564 and 2476.
The petitioner stated that approximately 0.961 hectares of land under revenue record number 1564, classified as a “jheel” or lake, was improperly repurposed for residential use.
The NGT previously issued notices to authorities and instructed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to assess the land’s nature and report any construction on the waterbody.
An initial report submitted by the district administration in May 2024 was deemed unclear regarding the land’s classification. The tribunal pointed out that the report vaguely mentioned a related case pending in the Allahabad High Court but lacked specifics.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the incomplete details, the tribunal ordered the district magistrate to attend the next hearing virtually and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for non-compliance with earlier directives.
Subsequent clarification from the district administration confirmed that survey number 1564 is officially recognized as a lake in UP’s Bhulekh land records. Additionally, survey number 2476, measuring 0.076 hectares, is recorded as part of the Hindon Air Field, owned by the Indian Air Force.
Based on these findings, the tribunal observed that survey number 1564 is indeed a waterbody that has been encroached upon. “The report confirms that Khasra No 1564 is a lake or waterbody which has been encroached,” the tribunal stated, urging the district magistrate to take immediate action against the encroachment and ensure the protection of the waterbody.
The tribunal clarified that ongoing proceedings in the Allahabad High Court would not hinder its examination of environmental issues related to the case. The NGT noted that the high court was addressing a writ petition concerning property mutation, rather than the environmental status of the land in question.
In past proceedings, a sub-divisional officer concluded that entries favoring Mahalaxmi Land and Finance Company in the revenue records were falsified and instructed their removal. This decision was later contested in revenue proceedings and ultimately brought to the high court.
The tribunal remarked that these proceedings pertain solely to ownership matters. As the classification of the land as a waterbody constitutes a distinct environmental issue, the NGT affirmed its authority to continue hearing the case, which is now scheduled for further discussion on March 24.
