Give unique ID to 123 water bodies in Haryana: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Haryana government to restore 123 water bodies in Gurugram and Faridabad districts and assign each one of them a unique identification number within three months.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said immediate steps should be taken to protect all water bodies in Haryana as they are the main source to recharge the groundwater.

"The chief executive officer of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority may also identify other water bodies and try to retrieve them. On such retrieval, the water bodies may also be given unique identification number and restoration measures may be adopted," the bench comprising justices Jawad Rahim and R S Rathore said.

The green panel said it would be open for any member of the public to give suggestions to the Haryana government and the CEO of GMDA on measures to restore the water bodies.

The order came after the lawyer appearing for petitioner Lt Col (retired) Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi suggested that there should be a unique identification number and index table for water bodies.

Oberoi had urged the court to direct authorities to restore the Ghata lake in Gurugram district.