Submit report on illegal industrial borewells: NGT to UP

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh government and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to submit a status report on the sealing of illegal industrial borewells in Ghaziabad and Hapur districts.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed them to submit a detailed and comprehensive report within three days.
The green panel had earlier directed the Central Ground Water Authority and the UP government to seal all illegal industrial borewells in the Ghaziabad district.
"Counsel appearing for State of Uttar Pradesh submits that they will file the status report. Let needful be done within three days... CPCB shall also file the status report by that time positively," the bench, also comprising Justice Jawad Rahim, said.

The tribunal had earlier said that people who depended on borewells for drinking water and do not have alternative sources of supply, need to obtain permission from the CGWA.
The NGT had directed the sealing of borewells run by industries, private individuals, builders or water tanker operators in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and Hapur districts.

However, the green panel had later clarified that it did not intend to affect the lives of the local residents who depend on groundwater for survival and asked all domestic consumers to apply for permission.
The NGT had also directed the CGWA to submit a detailed report on industries in Ghaziabad and Hapur districts after a plea alleged that incessant extraction of groundwater has resulted in depletion of the water table.

The NGT was hearing a plea by Ghaziabad resident Sushil Raghav and NGO Society for Protection of Environment and Biodiversity seeking closure of all industrial units extracting groundwater illegally in notified areas of Ghaziabad and Hapur.