Noida: The forest office has written to the Noida Authority, urging action against the ongoing concretisation of roadsides in Sector 137, 81 and 117. The office of the divisional forest officer, GB Nagar, stated that the activity violates the National Green Tribunal‘s order from May 2025 and is against the UP govt’s 2018 directive.Attaching a complaint filed by environmentalist and petitioner in the NGT case of 2022, Vikrant Tongad, the DFO office has directed the regional forest officer of Dadri to conduct a verification of the complaint regarding the ongoing construction of footpaths in various sectors, where construction material has been left in the open. The DFO has also urged the Noida CEO to take action against the violators.The complainant, Tongad, told TOI that the NGT, in its May 2025 order, issued guidelines for urban landscaping, making them mandatory for all local bodies and authorities engaged in the development of urban areas and the construction of roads. The NGT emphasised guideline issued by the UP govt in 2018 as the template for road construction in urban development. The govt order restricts the concretisation of roadsides to just 5% of the total open area and recommends the use of perforated paver blocks, leaving adequate space around tree trunks to grow.“When the guidelines clearly restrict the concretisation of the roadsides and give specific measurements that can be lined with perforated paver blocks, the construction of concrete footpaths is illegal,” Tongad said, pointing out that it will not just result in water runoff but would also make the roadside spaces available for illegal car parking.“In sector 81, near the Samsung area, on either side of the road, there was a 1-2 metre wide green belt, but it was paved with an RCC layer. After repeated appeals and objections, this RCC is now being removed and replaced with paver blocks. As per the Noida master plan, both sides of this road should have grass and avenue plantation,” he said.A similar violation was noticed in Ghaziabad, but the GMC took action after activists raised their voices. Construction of the footpath was halted on June 14, and an alternative arrangement as per NGT guidelines is being made in Patelnagar’s ward 9, where the violations were pointed out.
