The National Green Tribunal has lambasted civic bodies in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh over the worsening ambient air quality and high noise levels near the Kaushambi bus terminus on the Delhi border.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, after perusing an inspection report, issued notice to public authorities to show cause why environmental compensation be not imposed on the public authorities for failing to discharge their statutory duties.
“The joint inspection team has filed a detailed report along with analysis report and photographs with statistical figures. According to this report, not only the ambient air quality is bad but even the noise level is very high. Besides, municipal solid waste is also being burnt in open inside the bus stand and outside. This shows the concern of the state government and public authorities towards the environment.
“We issue show cause to all public authorities of Ghaziabad and concerned area of Delhi as to why we should not direct for payment of environmental compensation on the basis of Polluter Pays Principle as well as public authorities for having failed to discharge their statutory duties and causing serious health hazards,” the bench said.
The green panel has also directed all authorities concerned in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh to file their response within two weeks and posted the matter for hearing on May 18.
“We direct that the concerned public authority including corporation, municipalities, development authorities, police and administration shall hold a meeting and take common stand in regard to the issues raised in the joint inspection report. The meeting will be presided by the District Magistrate/Deputy Commission as the case may be,” the bench said.
The green panel was hearing a petition filed by Kaushambi Apartments Residents Welfare Association (KARWA) which had contended that the presence of two bus terminus (Anand Vihar and Kaushambi) within 200 metres of each other has aggravated air pollution in the area.
Seeking relocation of the bus terminus, the plea had said “Two interstate bus depots (Anand Vihar ISBT and UPSRTC Bus Stand), a state highway, national highway (NH24 and SH27) and two industrial areas (Sahibabad Industrial Area and Patparganj Industrial Area) have engulfed a residential township (Kaushambi) into a pollution disaster zone,” the plea had said.
( Source – PTI )
