NGT seeks response from Centre on depletion of NCZs in NCR

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Friday sought a response from the Centre on a petition filed against depletion of Natural Conservation Zones (NCZs) like forests, water bodies and waste lands in the National Capital Region. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Delhi government, National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) besides others and fixed the matter for next hearing on 9 September.  "Issue notice to the MoEF, MoUD, National Capital Region Planning Board…," the bench said. The tribunal was hearing a petition filed by senior advocate Raj Panjwani, appearing for Legal Aid Committee National Green Tribunal Bar Association against the alarming rate of depletion of NCZs in NCR. The petition alleged that “the decrease in NCZs has seriously impacted the ecological contribution from designated zones which includes recharging groundwater, water bodies, thereby impacting health and well being of NCR residents.” The petition has also sought to restrain Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments from diverting any area earmarked as NCZ as per the approved regional land use plan. The regional land use plan enumerates broad planning policies and proposals to illustrate the manner in which land in NCR is to be used for various purposes. It also seeks direction to these states to initiate appropriate steps for restoration of the approved NCZs. Earlier, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had informed that as per the analysis done in 2012 by NCRPB in conjunction with National Remote Sensing Centre, using satellite imageries, there has been a decline in NCZs vis-à-vis those contained in the Regional Plan-2021, notified in 2005. This decline in respect of NCR of Delhi has been 15.43 percent while it has been 43.88 percent in case of Uttar Pradesh, 25.97 percent in case of Haryana and 11.18 percent in respect of Rajasthan, Naidu had said. PTI