NGT Constitutes Joint Committee To Verify Factual Position Over A Polluted Three-Acre Pond In Gurugram

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench, New Delhi has constituted a Joint Committee to verify the factual position over a polluted three-acre pond in Gurugram, Haryana.

The Bench of Judicial Member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr. A. Senthil Vel directed, “In view of the averments made in the application, we consider it appropriate that a Joint Committee be constituted to verify the factual position and take appropriate remedial action. Accordingly, we constitute a Joint Committee comprising of Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and District Magistrate (DM), Gurugram and direct the same to meet within one week, undertake visits to the site, look into the grievances of the applicant, associate the applicant, verify the factual position and take appropriate remedial action by following due course of law.”

The Bench said that the Committee shall also report status of water body as per the revenue record and also status of compliance with regard to other waterbodies in District Gurugram.

The applicant, Virendra Tyagi had sent a letter petition by e-mail, which was treated and registered as Original Application, seeking intervention by the Tribunal for protection, cleaning, and preservation of aquatic life of the water body for health and hygiene of the neighbourhood community in Sector 47, Gurugram, Haryana. He submitted that there was a water body with an area of about 3 acres approximately in Sector 47, Gurugram and the same was not protected and cleaned.

The said area was used as a waste dumping ground, encroached upon by setting up Jhuggies and was also unauthorizedly used as grazing ground. Due to waste dumping, the pond became a breeding place of mosquitoes and other insects resulting in unhygienic and unsanitary environmental hazards. The applicant requested that directions may be used for protection, restoration and rejuvenation of the water body with development of periphery of the pond with greenery and preservation of the aquatic life of pond for conservation of biodiversity with active citizen participation as a model.

The NGT in view of the above facts noted, “Prima facie, the averments made in the application raise questions relating to environment arising out of the implementation of the enactments specified in Schedule I to the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.”

The Tribunal observed that the HSPCB (Haryana State Pollution Control Board) will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance in this matter.

“Factual and Action taken Report may be submitted within two months by e-mail at judicial-ngt@gov.in preferably in the form of searchable PDF/OCR Supported PDF and not in the form of Image PDF”, ordered the NGT.

Accordingly, the Tribunal listed the matter for further consideration on November 10, 2023.

Cause Title- Virendra Tyagi v. State of Haryana

Click here to read/download the Order