NGT summons Noida authority for ‘misleading’ bench on roadside concreting

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stern order summoning the chief executive officer of Noida, Lokesh M, and deputy general manager, Shripal Bhatti, to personally appear before the bench at the next date of hearing after Noida officials allegedly misrepresented facts before the bench regarding the removal of illegal concreting from roadsides.

Expressing its strong disapproval, the tribunal said Noida had not only made false claims but also obtained a favorable judicial order by submitting misleading information.

The issue pertains to the illegal concreting of roadsides in various parts of Noida and Greater Noida. The applicant, an environmentalist, had objected to the practice, arguing that such concreting violates environmental norms and is in direct contravention of a government order dated March 23, 2018.

The NGT reviewed the submissions and found merit in the applicant’s objections. The tribunal noted that despite claims by Noida authority, such illegal concreting had not been fully removed. When confronted, the counsel representing Noida authority expressed regret, admitting to errors in the reply submitted. The tribunal was not inclined to accept the apology, pointing out that the false statement had led to a judicial order in favour of the authority, which constituted a serious violation.

Taking a firm stance, the NGT observed that Noida authorities played a “fraud” by misrepresenting facts and presenting misleading evidence.

An NGT bench comprising judicial member justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad during a recent hearing said, “We are not inclined to accept such regret in as much as by making a false statement before tribunal in opposing stay application filed by applicant, Noida has been able to obtain judicial order in its favour and what we find from record that it is not only concretization on the roadside has been one but the same has also not been removed at several places and that is a situation as it stands on this day also.”

“Let CEO, Noida and DGM (work circle), Noida who has signed the reply ...appear personally before NGT on the next date to show cause as to why for making a false statement before tribunal and obtaining a judicial order in their favour and for misrepresentation, they should not be prosecuted in accordance with law,” the bench said.

The Tribunal also granted Greater Noida authority an extension of 10 days to file their response to the objections raised by the applicant. The case will be heard next on November 8, 2024.

Notably, a case regarding rampant concreting of road berms is ongoing in the NGT since May 2022 and during a hearing in April 2024, the Central Pollution Control Board, responding in the case, declared that concretisation activity is a “threat” to the environment and that roadsides must be freed up from concretisation in Noida and Greater Noida.