Gurgaon: A protected wetland in Manesar has allegedly been dewatered, filled up and a road constructed over it in violation of environmental laws.On Monday, National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a joint inspection into allegations of “large-scale encroachment and destruction of” the waterbody, spread over 6 acres (2.8 hectares), in Naharpur Kasan village. The plea alleged that “respondent no 6” — Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) — carried out dewatering and landfilling at the site, paving the way for construction over the wetland.The three-member panel — with the deputy commissioner (DC) as the nodal officer — will submit the report in eight weeks, NGT said. “The committee shall submit a factual and action-taken report to this tribunal,” the bench directed. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 21.The NGT bench observed that the plea raised a “substantial issue relating to compliance of environmental norms” and warranted an independent factual verification. The bench — headed by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad — issued notices to all respondents, including Haryana govt, and directed the applicant to complete service and file an affidavit of service at least a week before the next hearing.To independently verify the claims, the NGT constituted the joint committee comprising representatives of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority (HPWWMA), the regional office of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) in Chandigarh and the DC. The parties include Haryana govt, Gurgaon DC, Haryana Pollution Control Board, MoEF&CC, HSIIDC and HPWWMA.The committee has been tasked with visiting the site, examining revenue and official records to ascertain the original extent and status of the pond, identifying any encroachment or unauthorised construction and fixing responsibility for any illegal activity found during the inspection.According to the original application filed by local resident KK Yadav, the wetland is recorded as a johar (pond) in official revenue records and is also listed as an identified wetland in the National Wetland Atlas prepared by the MoEF&CC. The plea says that despite its protected status, the waterbody was allegedly reclaimed to facilitate construction activity.“This is a notified waterbody, clearly recorded as a johar in govt records. Its destruction not only violates wetland protection norms but also threatens groundwater recharge and the local ecology,” the applicant submitted before the tribunal.The applicant also pointed out that the waterbody enjoys protection under the Supreme Court’s 2017 judgment in MK Balakrishnan vs Union of India, which mandates strict preservation of identified wetlands across the country. Any alteration, reclamation or construction over such wetlands, the plea argued, amounts to a direct violation of the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.
