Groundwater extraction: NGT orders inspection of industries

New Delhi, Aug 7: The National Green Tribunal has ordered inspection of over 200 industries in Ghaziabad to check if borewells are installed in their premises on a plea alleging that indiscriminate extraction of groundwater has resulted in depletion of water table.

A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi ordered the Ghaziabad District Magistrate to appoint a team of officers to conduct inspection and submit a report to it.

It also impleaded Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited as party in the case and issued notice while seeking its reply by September 1.

"We direct the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad to appoint a team of officers to visit, inspect and find out whether any of these industries have borewell/s and report to us as about the existence of number of borewells in each industrial units... The report shall be filed on or before the next date of hearing," the bench, also comprising Expert Member Ranjan Chatterjee, said.

It also directed Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to file its reply in the case before the next date of hearing. The green panel had earlier issued notices to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Central Ground Water Authority Uttar Pradesh government, state pollution control board and others in the case.

The directions came on a plea by Ghaziabad resident Sushil Raghav and NGO Society for Protection Of Environment and Biodiversity seeking closure of all industrial units extracting groundwater illegally in the notified area of Ghaziabad and Hapur.

Advocates Rahul Choudhary and Meera Gopal, representing the petitioners, said indiscriminate withdrawal of ground water is done by around 240 industries through borewells which are dug illegally.

PTI