Noida: National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Noida CEO to examine allegations regarding inadequate and improper removal of concrete around trees and take appropriate action within two months. The district forest officer (DFO) was also asked to verify allegations of overpruning of trees and file a report.On Aug 6, a bench comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad heard an application filed against the state of UP and others by Noida resident Devendra Kumar on July 18. Kumar alleged that the work of removing concrete around trees in Noida had not been properly carried out.He attached geotagged photographs, claiming that the agency engaged for the work had removed only around 10-15cm of the concrete instead of the prescribed 1m around the trees at several locations. At other places, the work had not been conducted at all, he alleged. He also raised the issue of heavy pruning of trees, to such an extent as to lower the trees’ chances of survival at some places.The bench disposed of the application, with directives for the Noida CEO and the DFO, and observed that the allegations required ground-level verification. If found to be correct, appropriate remedial as well as punitive action would be required, it said.The counsel appearing for the CEO and DFO, Gargi Chaturvedi, told the tribunal they would comply with the directions.In May 2025, an NGT order issued instructions to chief secretaries of states and Union Territories and pollution control boards across the country to adhere to norms on concretisation of roadsides, berms and open spaces. The tribunal highlighted the guidelines issued by UP govt in 2018 that restrict the amount of pavement tiling or concretisation to a maximum of 5% and mandate that footpaths and tracks be constructed using permeable or semi-permeable materials like perforated blocks.In the same order, while disposing of the petition filed by environmentalist Vikrant Tongad and Noida resident Supriya Sardana, the bench issued instructions for removal of concrete from around trees that is detrimental to their growth and chances of survival.
