Times of India: Noida: Monday,
January 27, 2014.
In order to
conserve rapidly depleting groundwater resources in Gautam Buddh Nagar,
environmental activists in Noida have asked the UP chief secretary to ensure
implementation of a government order that had been issued in 2001 which makes
it mandatory for infrastructure projects of more than 20 acres to reserve 5 per
cent of their total area for the development of water bodies. This issue has
been raised by activists in light of the fact that most government departments
and agencies are apparently not following this rule.
In a letter
to the UP chief secretary, the environmental activists have apprised him of the
'grave situation' pertaining to groundwater shortage. According to the letter,
groundwater depletion is critical in 215 out of the total 820 blocks in the
state. Of these, 76 development blocks have been identified as extremely
critical in 25 districts of UP.
A ban on
groundwater extraction - for purposes of construction or otherwise - has been
enforced by the National Green Tribunal for the past one year in Noida and
Greater Noida to conserve depleting groundwater tables in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
"Measures
need to be undertaken for replenishing the underground resource," said
Noida-based environmental activist, Vikrant Tongad.
Activists in
Lucknow were informed by the Noida Authority that it does not make it mandatory
for infrastructure projects to develop water bodies, in reply to an RTI query
filed by environmental activist Krishnan Kant Singh.
The Authority
further said that 5 per cent area for water bodies are not demarcated in maps
of schools, colleges or hospitals of the district. However, a number of real
estate developers have ear-marked areas for water body development in their
project plans.
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