Removal of construction on ridge: NGT orders attachment of salaries of erring officers

The National Green Tribunal took today strong exception to non-compliance of its order on removal of illegal constructions in Delhi Ridge by the CISF and the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD) and ordered attachment of salaries of erring officers.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the officers concerned of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), BPRD and CGWA to submit compliance report by September 15.

The salaries of the officers will remain attached till compliance report was filed, the bench said.

The tribunal noted that substantial time has elapsed since its 2017 order yet there was no compliance report submitted.

While refusing to quash the environmental clearance, the green panel had last year slapped an environment compensation of Rs 10 lakh each on the CISF and BPRD for starting construction on Khasra No. 1007/1/2 of Mahipalpur without environmental clearance.

The tribunal's judgement had come on a plea by NGO CHETNA alleging that the Delhi Ridge was being devastated due to construction by the CISF and BPRD in the green area resulting in depletion of forest cover at an alarming rate.

NGO president Anil Sood claimed that such activity, if allowed to continue, will have an appalling consequences to the lung space of Delhi, affecting lives of residents.

The NGT had also directed both the project proponents to pay Rs 1 lakh as fine for utilising the water for commercial construction activity without valid NoC from the Central Ground Water Authority.

"They shall demarcate the land in khasra No. 976/1, 976/2, 977/1, 977/2, 978, 979, 999, 1003, 1004/1, 1005, 1006, 991/2/1, 1002, 1004/2 in their possession and carry out physical measurement in the presence of senior most officer to be nominated by Chairman/Vice Chairman of Delhi Development Authority and senior most officer to be nominated by the Chairman of Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

"CISF shall demarcate the area/land in Khasra No. 1007/1/2 and remove all structure put up therein and make it free of occupation and deliver the possession to DDA. The DDA shall forthwith take possession of the said land and manage the ridge and segregate it from other land," the tribunal had said.

The NGT had also directed the CISF and BPRD to give details of the number of tubewells in their premises and extent of water drawn.

"They shall forthwith install the meter for recording extraction of ground water from these borewells/tubewells and submit details to the CGWA.

"The CGWA shall conduct physical inspection of the land and submit report within two weeks of receipt of such information and in case they find the information furnished is incorrect they may submit a report to this tribunal," the tribunal had said.