Environment ministry orders probe into ‘vanishing trees’ at Surajpur wetland

The ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has taken cognisance of the issue of several hundreds of trees disappearing from the Surajpur wetland, after a complaint was raised by a Greater Noida-based environmental activist.

Directing the Uttar Pradesh government to act on the matter, the ministry has called for an investigation into the alarming death of several trees at the wetland site.

Spread over 308 hectares, of which 60 hectares is a lake, the wetland is city’s largest reserve forest and one of three major birding hot spots, the others being Okhla Bird Sanctuary and Dhanauri wetland.

Environmental activist Vikrant Tongad had written to the Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav last year, to bring the matter of the vanishing trees to the minister’s attention and the alleged discharge of ‘effluents’ by an industrial unit into the wetland.

In reply, in a letter addressed to the principal chief conservator of forests, Uttar Pradesh, the ministry said, “It has come to the attention of the ministry that the Surajpur wetland in Greater Noida has been witnessing alarming death of trees. It is, therefore, directed that the state government initiates an investigation into the case and takes necessary action under relevant rules and regulations.”

“A report on the investigation should be produced before the ministry and the complainant at the earliest possible,” the letter dated January 3, 2024, received by the complainant on January 20, said.

Tongad had written to the central ministry in December 2023. It alleged that the wetland was getting affected due to the effluents discharged by an industrial unit nearby, into a drain connected to the wetland, that further merges into river Hindon.

“The industrial as well as domestic waste discharge has resulted in destroying thousands of trees in around 20 acres of the wetland area,” the letter added.

Local environmentalists have been alleging in the past that hundreds of thousands of trees in 20-acre area of the wetland have been destroyed, owing to the discharge of effluents by the adjacent industrial units into the drain connected to the wetland.

The illegal activity has resulted in the destruction of the biodiversity of the wetland, which is home to thousands of migratory birds during the winter months, they alleged.

“Inspections are ongoing to ascertain the exact number of trees that have been damaged/died at the Surajpur Wetland currently”, said divisional forest officer (DFO), PK Srivastava.

According to regional officer, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Deo K Gupta, a committee formed in the case had conducted inspections earlier this month.

“Samples collected from a drain discharging waste into the wetland have been collected and sent for examination to Lucknow. A report is currently awaited.”