Ghaziabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken note that a portion of land in Pasunda village in Loni, where a residential colony is being developed, is recorded as a lake in revenue records and has directed the district administration to remove encroachments and protect the waterbody.The case was filed by NGO Society for Voice of Human Rights and Justice, which alleged that a lake had been illegally converted into a residential colony. In its petition before the tribunal, the NGO claimed that land recorded under revenue survey numbers 1564 and 2476 had been altered through land mutation to permit development by a private company, Mahalaxmi Land and Finance Company.According to the petitioner, the land measuring about 0.961 hectares under offifical revenue record number 1564 was listed as a “jheel” or lake but was nonetheless allowed to be used for residential development.The NGT had earlier issued notices to authorities and directed the Ghaziabad district magistrate to examine the nature of the land and submit a report on whether construction had taken place on a waterbody.An initial report filed by the district administration in May 2024 did not clearly specify the nature of the land recorded under the relevant surveys. The tribunal also noted that the report referred vaguely to a case pending before the Allahabad High Court but did not provide details of the case number or the interim orders involved.Expressing dissatisfaction with the incomplete information, the tribunal had earlier directed the district magistrate to appear virtually at the next hearing and imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 for failing to comply fully with its earlier directions.In a subsequent report, the district administration clarified that survey number 1564 was officially recorded in UP’s Bhulekh land records as a lake. The second plot under survey number 2476, measuring 0.076 hectares, was shown as belonging to the Hindon Air Field and came within the boundary of land owned by the Indian Air Force.Taking note of these details, the tribunal observed that the records clearly establish that survey number 1564 is a waterbody that has been encroached upon. “The report reveals that Khasra No 1564 is a lake or waterbody which has been encroached,” the tribunal said, directing the district magistrate to take prompt steps to remove the encroachment and ensure protection of the waterbody.The tribunal also clarified that proceedings pending before the Allahabad high court would not prevent it from examining the environmental aspects of the case. According to the NGT, the high court was dealing with a writ petition concerning the mutation or transfer of property ownership, not the environmental question of whether the land is a waterbody.In earlier proceedings related to the dispute, a sub-divisional officer had found that entries made in favour of Mahalaxmi Land and Finance Company in revenue records were forged and had ordered them deleted. That decision was later challenged in revenue proceedings and eventually reached the high court.The tribunal said those proceedings relate only to ownership and mutation issues.Since the nature of the land as a waterbody is a separate environmental question, the NGT said there was no impediment to continuing its hearing in the matter. The case has now been listed for further hearing on March 24.
