Addressing Green Belt Encroachment Issues in Ghaziabad
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Government to initiate proceedings against the Uttar Pradesh Housing Board Commissioner due to his absence at a tribunal hearing concerning green belt encroachment in Vasundhara, Ghaziabad. The tribunal, comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad, emphasized in their August order that official duties should include compliance with tribunal orders, as non-compliance is a punishable offense under Section 26 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. This section prescribes penalties that can include imprisonment for up to three years or a fine reaching Rs 10 crore for failing to comply.
The NGT has requested a compliance report within two months. A housing board official revealed that in April 2024, the commissioner had sought exemption from appearing in person, but the tribunal denied this request. Balkar Singh, who assumed the role of UP Housing Board Commissioner in March 2024, was not available for comment.
The issue originated from a 2022 petition filed by Amit Kishore, a resident of Vasundhara, who pointed out that an RTI query revealed a green belt area of 5,50,545 sqm, encompassing 210 parks. but lacked data on green belt encroachment. Kishore’s petition noted that green belts near residential sectors were occupied by kiosks and used as vending zones, with 62 kiosks operating in areas like Sector 15 and Atal Chowk. Although the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation removed these kiosks before the NGT could issue directives, there was a noted lack of coordination between the municipal and housing board officials regarding the green belt encroachment. Consequently, the NGT required the District Magistrate, municipal commissioner, and housing board commissioner to appear personally in April.
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