National Green Tribunal today directed counsels to visit two ponds of Niwari town along with Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board officers and jointly give suggestions to the court regarding any further action that is required to be taken.
A bench led by Chairman Justice A. K. Goel hearing the application filed by Vivek Tyagi alleging contamination of ground water in areas of Niwari town.
Niwari town is 20 Kms from Ghaziabad and is adjacent to Upper Ganga Canal, which is on the west side of town. There are two ponds in the town of Niwari. It has open municipal drains which carry the waste water of the entire town but the same has no exit, because of which, the said drains overflow. It is alleged by Petitioner that Nagar Panchayat, Niwari has illegally opened the municipal drains into the said two ponds thereby polluting the same, which is also resulting in contamination of the ground water and now the ground water found at 30-40 feet is not fit for any purpose. Not only this, even some municipal garbage generated from the town is being dumped in the said two ponds, which is threatening the existence of these water bodies.
The counsel for the respondent submitted that as far as compliance is concerned, it has been complied with and composting plants are in working condition. Whereas, the counsel for the Petitioner argued before the court that he himself has visited the place 5 days back and had found no difference in the situation of the pond and has also sent the photographs to the respondent’s counsel on Whatsapp.
NGT Chairman directed all the counsels to visit the Pond in Niwari and come up with suggestions for the bench to take necessary further action. The court also mentioned that the bench trusts the counsels and being an officer of the court there suggestions will be relied upon.
-India Legal Bureau