187 industries extracting groundwater in Ghaziabad, NGT told

A large number of industries in Ghaziabad are extracting groundwater through borewells installed in their premises, causing depletion of the water table, the National Green Tribunal was informed today.
The submission that 187 out of 233 industries were extracting groundwater was made in a report of inspection carried out by a team of 16 officers from district administration to check existence of borewells in industrial premises in Ghaziabad.
The report submitted a detailed list of industries operating in Ghaziabad district, including tanneries, breweries, textile units and other water intensive industries.
A bench comprising Justice U D Salvi and Expert Member Ranjan Chatterjee directed Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited, state pollution control board and District Magistrates of Ghaziabad and Hapur to respond to a plea alleging indiscriminate extraction of groundwater resulting in depletion of water table.

The tribunal on August 4 had ordered Ghaziabad District Magistrate to appoint a team of officer to inspect 233 industries in Ghaziabad to check if borewells are installed in their premises.
It had earlier issued notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Central Ground Water Authority Uttar Pradesh government, state pollution control board and others in the case.

The tribunal was hearing a plea by Ghaziabad resident Sushil Raghav and NGO Society for Protection Of Environment and Biodiversity seeking closure of all industrial units extracting groundwater illegally in the notified area of Ghaziabad and Hapur.
Advocate Rahul Choudhary, representing the petitioners, had earlier said indiscriminate withdrawal of ground water is done by around various industries through borewells which are dug illegally.

The plea had alleged that Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam was illegally selling groundwater to various industries in different industrial areas, especially in Site-4 Industrial Area, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad which are using it as raw material or for other industrial purposes.