NGT directs UP to expeditiously identify wetlands

The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttar Pradesh to expeditiously identify wetlands in the state with the help of ISRO imagery after a plea claimed that large areas which are ecologically important are being lost as they have not been notified as protected under law.
A bench of Justice U D Salvi issued notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Uttar Pradesh government while directing the state to maintain status-quo in two wetlands of of Gautam Buddha Nagar district. The matter is posted for further hearing on February 10.
"We hope and trust that the state of Uttar Pradesh undertakes an exercise of identifying the wetlands in the state expeditiously particularly, in the light of ISRO imagery," the bench said.

The Tribunal's direction came on a plea filed by Anand Arya, through advocates Reena George and Kartik Prasad, seeking direction to the Centre and UP to identify all wetlands within the state as per The Wetlands (Conservation and Management ) Rules 2010.
The plea also sought direction "to take action to notify these two wetlands(in Gautam Buddha Nagar) without any further delay and grant an ad interim injunction against interference with these two wetlands till these are notified and protection granted".
According to the plea, the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 were passed under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, making it mandatory for the government in coordination with the states to identify and notify all Wetlands in the country within a period of two years.

It said such wetlands have not been identified and notified in the country as yet.

"Large wetlands in UP are being lost as it has failed to identify these wetlands. The wetlands are of over 100 hectare each and are located in the Dankaur area of Gautam Buddha Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh," it said.
"Wetlands are under water and have remained so through many years as can be seen on the Google Earth images for the past few years, as also on the maps of the area by ISRO," it added.
A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, and has a distinct ecosytem.