Ghaziabad: Nearly 90% of the ponds in Ghaziabad cannot support plantation along their perimeters, with only 101 of the 1,075 ponds identified in Tehsil Sadar, Modinagar, Loni and GMC areas found suitable for planting saplings. A survey by the district administration and forest department found the rest unsuitable because their boundaries were submerged or waterlogged, covered by dense wild growth, under cultivation in dry beds, encroached upon or blocked by debris and concrete structures. Some already have tree cover.The findings were disclosed in an affidavit filed by divisional forest officer (DFO) Isha Tiwari in compliance with NGT orders of Dec 11, 2025 and July 13, 2026. The tribunal, hearing a letter petition filed by Himanshu Tyagi, national secretary of the Association for Helping Hand Trust, had noted that the condition of water bodies in the district was deplorable, mainly because of encroachment and poor upkeep. It directed various authorities, including DFO, to prepare an action plan for afforestation on the banks of the water bodies, in consultation with the district environment committee, the Panchayati Raj authorities and gram panchayats concerned. The plan is meant to protect and strengthen the catchment areas, and the authorities are also to take steps to maintain the plantation. The matter is scheduled to be taken up on Monday.Of the 1,075 ponds spread across three tehsils (Sadar, Modinagar and Loni) and the municipal corporation, 732 were surveyed by range forest officers of Ghaziabad and Modinagar to assess the land available for plantation along their banks. Only 101 were found feasible.While admitting that 90% of the ponds are unsuitable for peripheral plantation, DFO has also submitted an action plan for the 101 feasible ones. According to the plan, not a single pond was found feasible in Loni, while 54 of 217 ponds in Sadar tehsil and 47 of 449 ponds surveyed in Modinagar tehsil were found suitable.Based on the space available around these 101 ponds, the department targets planting 10,700 saplings and has proposed a budget of Rs 17.26 lakh. Of this, around Rs 8.8 lakh is for plantation and Rs 8.4 lakh for maintenance over the next two years.The forest department has clarified that none of the identified ponds is on notified forest land. They are under the ownership, administrative control and jurisdiction of tevenue department, gram panchayats or urban local bodies.“A detailed, site-specific action plan for carrying out peripheral plantation along the ponds was formulated and duly forwarded to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) regional officer and Ghaziabad district magistrate vide letter dated Feb 20, 2026,” DFO has said.“The execution is allocated between the Panchayati Raj department (for rural Gram Panchayat ponds) and the In-charge Horticulture, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (for urban ponds),” she said.
