Noida: YEIDA sets 2-month target to clean up 116 ponds

NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has fixed a two-month target to beautify over 100 ponds in its jurisdiction. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the three authorities of GB Nagar and the district administration to take measures to restore ponds that have been encroached.
YEIDA CEO Arun Vir Singh said, “Orders have been given to beautify 116 ponds in 96 villages in the next two months. These ponds are free of encroachments. The beautification work will be done by the project and land record departments and monitored by an officer on special duty and a general manager (project).”
Earlier, the district administration submitted a status report in the NGT, stating that of 1,018 ponds in GB Nagar, 217 remain encroached. On 43 of these ponds, industrial development authorities and gram panchayats have constructed public utility structures. In the YEIDA region, 35 out of 277 ponds were found to be encroached. On eight ponds in the Yamuna Expressway region, the authority has constructed public utility works.
NGT, on October 12, directed the district magistrate and CEOs of Noida, GNIDA and YEIDA to file action-taken reports on all ponds within three months.
The YEIDA CEO said the authority was cooperating with the administration to remove encroachments from other ponds. “An order has been given to conduct a survey of the ponds located in the YEIDA area within two months and file cases in accordance with Section 67 of the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code in a competent court wherever encroachment is found,” he added.