Arthala lake encroachments: 2 yrs on, no compliance with NGT case transfer order

Ghaziabad: District magistrate RK Singh on Monday wrote to the GDA, GMC and the UP Housing Board to ensure compliance with a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order transferring a case related to encroachments on Arthala lake in the city to a district court.Around one-third of the lake, spread over 2 lakh sqm area in the city, is alleged to have been encroached on over the years.In 2016, NGT — hearing a petition filed by environmentalist Sushil Raghav — had ordered Ghaziabad authorities to demolish all illegally built structures to restore the lake. But little headway was made. Raghav in 2017 filed an execution plea before the tribunal, and in 2019, a contempt plea.Days before the contempt plea was to be taken up, an anti-encroachment drive was carried out in May that year, but it was abandoned after a standoff with locals.NGT in January 2021 ordered the transfer of the case to Ghaziabad district court to ensure that its directions are carried out, Raghav told TOI on Wednesday. The court is supposed to execute the NGT’s order on clearing the encroachments. “But even after over two years, no efforts have been made to transfer the case to the district court, prompting me to approach NGT again late last year. The district magistrate on March 20 issued orders to GDA, GMC and UP Housing Board to ensure compliance with regards to transferring the case to the Ghaziabad district court by coming up with facts,” the environmentalist said.When asked, a district administration official confirmed on Wednesday that a “letter has indeed been issued to stakeholders in the case, and a copy of the letter is also marked to the district judge for his perusal”.The district magistrate is also the vice-chairperson of GDA.Apart from Arthala lake, Raghav in 2020 had filed another petition, alleging that 400 water bodies in Ghaziabad had been encroachment on. In response, the district administration had admitted before the NGT that around 261 water bodies were fully or partially encroached on.“The administration had admitted in the NGT that 117 of the 146 water bodies in the city’s municipal area were encroached and three partially encroached. This case is still being heard in the NGT,” Raghav said.
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