Ghaziabad: Three years after National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to impose an environmental penalty on a man who had started a circus in a public park in Sahibabad’s Kadkad Model area, the govt has not recovered the fine amount.The issue was brought to NGT’s notice in 2023 by a local. The tribunal disposed of the matter on Oct 30 of the same year with directions to the member secretary of UPPCB to verify the extent of damage, impose a penalty on the person responsible for the encroachment and work for the restoration of the park. Since then, authorities have identified which departments will be responsible for the maintenance of the park. The principal bench, comprising chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad, was told “Municipal of Ghaziabad has been entrusted with establishing and maintaining facilities for scientific collection and disposal of solid waste, while Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority will be behind the park’s upkeep and development”. The tribunal asked the departments to submit progress reports regarding removal of solid waste and maintenance of the park before the next date of hearing on Oct 15.However, the formalities for imposing the fine was not completed.In Feb 2024, a miscellaneous application was filed before NGT seeking the imposition of a penalty on Krishan Singh Raghav, the man who started the circus, and completing the restoration of the park.During a hearing for the application on Monday, UPPCB told the tribunal that it had completed the calculation of environmental compensation as per the norms fixed by Central Pollution Control Board. A fine of Rs 6.2 lakh is to be imposed on the individual for the violation from Oct 30, 2023 to July 11, 2025, it said.Taking note of the calculations, the tribunal asked the state authorities to expedite the process of imposing the fine on the individual concerned. “The UPPCB is directed to file the report disclosing the details of levy of environmental compensation and also place on record the order by which the environmental compensation, if any, is levied,” NGT said on Monday.
