NGT Issues Notices To Centre Over Absence Of Green Belts On Several National Highways, Including Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

Mumbai: The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Centre and other concerned authorities over the alleged failure to maintain mandatory green belts on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and also several other national highways in the country.

The Tribunal was hearing an application filed by the Society for Protection of Culture Heritage, Environment, Traditions and Promotion of National Awareness, which raised serious concerns about encroachments and non-compliance with green belt norms on both sides of the highways.

The applicant society in its complaint alleged that although some plantation work has been carried out, the mandatory green areas have not been developed or maintained as per statutory notifications.

The issue was particularly flagged along stretches of NH-1/NH-44 and NH-8/NH-48, where the applicant pointed out a lack of plantation in the median and the survival of transplanted trees.

They further claimed that most of the transplanted trees have not survived. The society also said that there was a discrepancy in the number of planted tress against the existing one’s.

“The plea of the Applicant is that the notifications have been issued from time to time prescribing minimum mandatory green belt along with the highways and these notifications are required to be complied with, but the concerned authorities have not developed the mandatory greens in terms of these notifications,” reads the complaint mentioned in the NGT’s order copy.

The application further attributed the said that the absence of green belts to the increased temperatures and reduced differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures.

Taking a cognisance of the same, the principal bench has directed several concerned government department to respond to the complaint and to file their respective responses via affidavits before May 22.