Ghaziabad: Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) has been found violating a 2023 NGT order by carrying out construction over the Sahibabad drain, allegedly encroaching on its bed.The matter came to light during an inspection by a UP Pollution Control Board team, which was asked to verify complaints about construction continuing within the drain and its prescribed 12-metre buffer zone in violation of the tribunal’s directions.The original application was filed by a local resident, Hazi Arif, in 2014. In 2023, the tribunal had ordered the removal of all illegal construction falling within the 12-metre buffer zone and the prevention of pollution by stopping the discharge of untreated sewage into the drain. However, the applicant had to file an execution application in 2025 because new encroachments were coming up near the drain despite NGT’s ban.Last week, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board conducted a check and found illegal construction: an iron reinforcement mesh approximately 9.5 metres wide had been constructed across a stretch of approximately 30 metres of the drain. No person was present at the site during inspection; the violators could not be identified.The inspection team further reported untreated sewage from nearby colonies as well as industrial effluent from the Site-IV industrial area. Samples of the drain water were found to be highly contaminated, with total coliform and faecal coliform exceeding the standard limits.The tribunal was informed that the pollution board wrote to UPSIDA’s regional manager on Aug 19, requesting them to take action against the illegal construction and ensure compliance with the 2023 order.The counsel appearing for UPSIDA informed NGT that it would comply with the order and no further illegal construction would take place. It sought four weeks’ time to file its response.The matter has been listed for Nov 2.
