Issuing notice to Noida Expressway SHO and directing him to be personally present before the tribunal for not complying with its order on illegal water extraction by builders, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked him why “punitive” action be not taken against himIJ
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar has taken strong exception to the Noida police officer for not complying with its April 23 order directing the concerned station house officers (SHOs) to provide due protection to the NGT-appointed local commissioners.
On April 23, the green panel had appointed two local commissioners directing them to visit any project in NCR, Delhi and report if groundwater was used.
The bench said that one of the local commissioners had submitted that he himself went to the police station for protection and after showing of order of the tribunal, the SHO concerned, Pankaj Pant, refused to comply with the direction of the tribunal.
“Keeping in view the seriousness of the inspection to be conducted by the local commissioner, it was expected that such SHO shall comply with the order,” the bench said.
It also additionally appointed advocates Sumeet Sodhi and Atul Batra as local commissioners and asked them to submit their reports before July 8. Earlier, the green panel had rapped the Noida and Greater Noida authorities for their failure to restrain builders from extracting groundwater, and had appointed advocates Narender Pal Singh and Sahil Sangar as local commissioners to inspect construction sites there.
The bench had passed the order after perusing the Central Ground Water Authority’s affidavit, which had said that groundwater level in Noida is depleting. The tribunal was hearing the plea of Noida resident Vikrant Kumar Tongad who alleged that real estate developers were withdrawing groundwater in violation of its orders.