NGT raps GDA for concretising pavements beyond prescribed

The National Green tribunal today came down heavily on Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) for violating its order on the issue of concretisation of pavements in both residential and commercial areas of the district.
After perusing certain photographs, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar appointed Guneet Khehar, a lawyer, as Local Commissioner who will visit Ghaziabad to find out if the areas in the said pictures are green belt or are tiled areas.
The matter is posted for next hearing on November 14.
The Tribunal's order came on the plea of environmentalist Akash Vashishtha alleging that the "extensive and mindless" tiling or concretisation of the land is not only preventing rain water from recharging the ground water, but is also "choking" trees to death.

"The counsel appearing for the applicant has placed before us photographs showing that the walking paths are being concretised and even the green areas are being concretised in excess of the prescribed limits...
"Secondly, the areas which are required to be tiled so as to ensure that the water percolates, are concretised to the extent that there is no percolation of water... There is clear violation of our order." the bench said.
It also directed the SHO, Navyug Market to provide all the required assistance to the Local Commissioner and ensure that no inconvenience is caused to her.
The bench had on February 20 directed that the tiling or concretization of pavements should not exceed more than five per cent and the foot-path and tracks must be constructed only with the permeable and semi-permeable perforated blocks.