Removal of construction on ridge: Hold salaries of erring officers, orders NGT

| | New Delhi

A National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bench on Wednesday took strong note of non-compliance of its order on removal of illegal constructions in Delhi Ridge by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD) and ordered attachment of salaries of erring officers.

NGT Bench had last year while hearing a plea by an NGO had imposed an environment compensation of Rs 10 lakh each on the CISF and BPRD for starting construction without environmental clearance. The NGO had alleged that the Delhi Ridge was being devastated due to construction by the CISF and BPRD in the green area resulting in depletion of forest cover at an alarming rate.

A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel noted that substantial time has elapsed since its 2017 order yet there was no compliance report submitted and directed the officers concerned of the CISF, BPRD and CGWA to submit compliance report by September 15.

The Bench also said salaries of the officers will remain attached till compliance report was filed. The bench also imposed Rs 1 lakh fine on the projects proponents for utilising the water for commercial construction activity without valid No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

The Bench said that the CISF shall remove all structure put up on the land and make it free of occupation and deliver the possession to DDA. "The DDA shall forthwith take possession of the said land and manage the ridge and segregate it from other land," said the bench.

The NGT had also directed the CISF and BPRD to give details of the number of tubewells in their premises and extent of water drawn.

"They shall forthwith install the meter for recording extraction of ground water from these borewells/tubewells and submit details to the CGWA.

"The CGWA shall conduct physical inspection of the land and submit report within two weeks of receipt of such information and in case they find the information furnished is incorrect they may submit a report to this tribunal," said the bench.

While Anil Sood, President, NGO Chetna said that such activities can if allowed to continue, will have an appalling consequences to the lung space of Delhi, affecting lives of residents.