NGT notice to Centre, State, builders over large-scale illegal construction in Noida, Greater Noida

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday issued notices to the Central government, the Uttar Pradesh government and several other public authorities, as well as builders, on a plea alleging large-scale illegal construction in Greater Noida and Noida. [Rajendra Tyagi v. Union of India and Ors].A coram of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel observed that a substantial issue relating to compliance of environmental norms was raised, and accordingly, issued notice..The Court was hearing an original application alleging that unauthorized and illegal construction of houses, shops and other commercial establishments is in progress in Greater Noida and Noida, in violation of environmental norms.The applicant highlighted that since many of these constructions were being done with top soil, large-scale illegal mining of top soil was being carried out, resulting in deep, catastrophic pits.He alleged that these constructions are being carried out without obtaining mandatory consent to establish and operate under Section 25 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).The applicant also alleged that these illegal constructions are being developed without having any sewerage network in place and without having consent to establish and operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to draw water from tubewells.Advocate Akash Vashishtha gave the details of places where such constructions are in progress and informed the Tribunal that according to UPPCB, no information regarding the developers or developments was available in office records..Accordingly, the Tribunal issued notices to:Union of India Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA)District Magistrate Gautam Budh Nagar Collectorate Surajpur M/s Ghaziabad Developers & Builders State of Uttar Pradesh Central Pollution Control Board Noida Power Company Ltd. (NPCL) Bhagwati Developers Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board District Ground Water Management Council Gautam Budh Nagar Sahara Enclave.The matter will be taken up for further hearing on July 8..[Read Order]