National Green Tribunal had ordered CGWA to seal all borewells and stop illegal groundwater extraction in Ghaziabad.
Residents of Ghaziabad high-rises today filed their pleas with National Green Tribunal (NGT) over its order to seal borewells and put an end to illegal groundwater extraction in residential societies. The pleas have been filed under the aegis of Consortium of Societies, Ghaziabad (CoG).
NGT's recent order had wreaked havoc on residents' peace of mind, owing to the fact that most societies in the area rely on groundwater to fulfil their daily water requirement. The green court’s order came after a petition filed by activists in the city, who expressed their concern over the rapid depletion of groundwater.
Speaking to City Spidey, Sanjeev Sharma, the legal counsel for the consortium and a resident of an Indirapuram high-rise, said that Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) had issued directions to get all borewells approved, but residents didn’t know how to go about it.
“The societies do not have the relevant documents they need if they want to get approvals," said Sharma. "They do not even have their completion certificates, and most borewells were set up by builders. Hence, the builders must be held responsible as well. The societies are home to lakhs of people who do not have adequate Ganga jal supply and completely rely on groundwater to fulfil their needs. We have brought all these points to NGT's notice."
Meanwhile, AOAs of the area have also started sending application letters for approval of borewells to the district magistrate (DM) of Ghaziabad, some of which also request action only after providing sufficient water from the authorities.
Sharat Jha, president of CoG, told City Spidey that since all the societies were facing the same problem, CoG has issued a draft letter to be submitted to the DM’s office. “We are urging more and more AOAs to submit their letters, so the administration can understand the gravity of the problem,” added Jha.
The matter is set to be heard again tomorrow.
