NGT issues notice to illegal nurseries on Yamuna floodplains

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal on Thursday issued notice to around 3,000 illegal nurseries and private persons causing pollution on the floodplains of river Yamuna here.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, after perusing a report submitted by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), sought response from these nurseries by August 10, the next date of hearing.

"Report on behalf of DDA has been filed. Issue notice to all the offending nurseries and persons located near the Yamuna Bank Metro Station, who are throwing construction and demolition (C&D) debris, waste material and also burning plastic on the Yamuna floodplains," the bench said.

Taking note of DDA's inspection that around 3,000 nurseries were operating, the green panel had directed it to submit complete report on nurseries and other commercial activities going on in the floodplains of the river.

The tribunal had noted that illegal activities relating to cement pots and nurseries were going on without permission from DDA which is causing pollution as broken pots are being converted into debris and deposited on the riverbed itself.

It had also stated that these nurseries, which are getting plants in plastic bags are not collecting them and burning plastic on the river bank.

DDA's counsel Kush Sharma had told the tribunal that when a team, including him, and a DMRC official went to check for the source of the construction debris in the vicinity of Yamuna Bank Metro Station, they found commercial activities going on in the jhuggi clusters.

He had told the green panel that there were unauthorised jhuggi clusters which have installed borewells and extract ground water without permission from Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

The tribunal had earlier announced a fine of Rs 5,000 on individuals throwing waste or religious items in the river. It had also banned dumping of construction material into the Yamuna while imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 on violators and barred real estate developers from carrying out any construction work on the floodplains.