NGT seeks presence of UP official over non-compliance of order

The National Green Tribunal today directed a senior official from the Forest Department of Uttar Pradesh government to appear before it over non-compliance of its repeated order to provide a topographical map showing the drainage and catchment area of the Dadri wetland.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar gave the direction after the state failed to satisfy the tribunal that "efforts are being made to comply" with its order.
"The counsel appearing for the state of Uttar Pradesh submits that even now the order passed by the Tribunal in November 2013 and January 2014 have not been complied as yet. She submits that efforts are being made to comply. However, we are not satisfied with the submissions made by the counsel for Uttar Pradesh.

"We direct the senior officer from the concerned (Forest) Department be present before the Tribunal on the next date of hearing," the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on February 11.
The order came while hearing a plea of two UP-based environmentalists Akash Vashishtha and Vikrant Tongad who have alleged that the Dadri wetlands, also called as Bil Akbarpur wildlife habitat and home to the protected black buck species, Nilgai as well as over 200 migratory and resident birds, is being destroyed due to activity of builders and others.
The tribunal, meanwhile, directed all the stakeholders, including the petitioners to show whether a layout map, submitted by real estate builder Uttam Steels, correctly describes the water bodies, their sources and their impact on wild life of the area.

The tribunal also directed UP government to explain on the next date of hearing "what is the progress in regard to the preparation of topographical maps in terms of the order of the Tribunal".