The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has come down heavily on the Noida Authority for its persistent failure to adhere to environmental norms. During a hearing on Wednesday, the tribunal highlighted a shocking discrepancy: out of Rs 27 crore in environmental compensation levied over recent years for pollution violations, a mere Rs 1 crore has actually been recovered.
A Pattern of Daily Violations
The bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel, was hearing a petition filed by RTI activist Amit Gupta. The petition alleged large-scale and sustained violations of pollution control measures by multiple agencies in Noida.
In a damning submission, even the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) stated that the Noida Authority was found violating norms "on a daily basis." Gupta's petition specifically pointed to unchecked road-digging, cable-laying, and pipeline work by the Noida Authority, PVVNL, Jal Vibhag, and private contractors, leading to severe dust pollution and damage to infrastructure and greenery.
"Pollution Controlled Only on Paper"
Amit Gupta expressed deep frustration over the inaction despite over 40 representations made to various authorities, including the Noida Authority, UPPCB, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), over the past four years.
"It is disheartening that instead of initiating legal action... CPCB and CAQM have limited their response to issuing letters and emails," Gupta claimed. He accused the pollution control bodies of a "passive approach" and stated that "no team from CPCB or CAQM visited the affected areas to check the ground reality." He alleged that these agencies were effectively "only controlling pollution on paper."
To substantiate his claims, he provided photographic evidence of dust-covered roads and unattended debris. He also cited data from the CAQM's affidavit showing that the air monitoring station in Sector 116 recorded AQI levels above 350 for consecutive days due to construction dust, even when GRAP-III restrictions were in force.
NGT's Directives and Future Action
Taking serious note of the submissions, the NGT issued clear directives. It ordered the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Noida Authority to personally ensure strict compliance with environmental norms for all ongoing and future work.
Furthermore, the tribunal instructed the UPPCB to regularly monitor the violations and, crucially, to calculate the exact environmental compensation for both past and ongoing breaches. "The UPPCB will ascertain the period of violation for each such violation and give the calculation of environmental compensation..." the order stated.
The NGT has granted four weeks to the Noida Authority to file its detailed reply to the allegations. The petitioner, Amit Gupta, will then have two weeks to file a rejoinder. The case underscores the ongoing challenge of enforcing pollution norms in rapidly developing urban centers like Noida, despite significant funds like the over Rs 56 crore allocated under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
