The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an order for the Gautam Buddha Nagar district magistrate in Uttar Pradesh to provide a comprehensive report on the current state of ponds, wetlands, and other water bodies in the district. This directive comes after the tribunal found the initial report, dated November 23, inadequate in detailing the efforts taken to remove encroachments and rejuvenate these vital ecological zones.
Chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, the NGT bench, which includes Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, pointed out the need for more precise information regarding the district’s 1,018 water bodies spread across the Sadar, Dadri, and Jewar tehsils. The tribunal has requested that the new report include geo-coordinates, names, and specific details of each water body, the extent of areas filled with water, sources of any waste discharges, and the quality of water therein.
In their November 26 order, the tribunal emphasized the importance of understanding both the actions taken to clear existing encroachments and the ongoing status of these environmental assets. “To ascertain the current status and further details of the encroachments that have been removed and the existing condition of the wetlands in the district, we direct the DM to file a fresh report,” stated the tribunal.