Agra: In a major setback to real estate developers in the city, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned sale and purchase of flats built close to the Yamuna. The court said that no new construction work would be carried in these properties till further orders. The tribunal also issued notices to 15 builders and sought their responses on alleged construction of multi-storeyed buildings on Yamuna floodplains.
However, at present the ban is applicable only to those properties which have been named by the petitioner in his application.
The court was hearing a petition filed by an Agra resident, DK Joshi, who alleged that many high-rise buildings have been constructed in the Yamuna floodplains without the necessary environment clearances.
Petitioner's counsel Rahul Choudhary told TOI, "The court noted that many of buildings do not have environment clearance and also come under the floodplain zone. The court said that no further construction will be done and no third party interest will be created through sale and purchase of flats in all those residential buildings which have been named in the petition."
"Reacting to the Agra authorities' plea that at present there is no demarcation of Yamuna flood zone in the city, the tribunal directed them to identify it," Choudhary added.
The next date of hearing is July 28.
Joshi had mentioned names of Aparna River View Colony, ManglamShila, Manglam Estate, Pushpanjali Heights, Kalyani Heights, Pushpanjali Seasons, Rajshree Estate, JawaharBagh Phase-II and Vaibhav Garden, RadhaBallabh Public school, Taj View Apartment, Taj Way Inn, Ganpati wonder City, among others in his petition and stated that they had sprung up within 50 metres of the Yamuna.
Earlier on May 6, the tribunal had sought to know how some high-rise structures on the Yamuna riverbanks got the no-objection certificate. The NGT had also sought a response on the dumping of hazardous waste in the Yamuna, despite a clear-cut ban on this practice.
Joshi, who also serves on a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee tasked with looking into Yamuna and water-related issues, in his complaint had alleged that tall buildings on the banks of the river exposed lives to risk, especially in case of flooding or earthquake.
Subsequently, the NGT had instructed Agra divisional commissioner, the chief of Agra Development Authority (ADA) and the municipal commissioner to conduct a spot inspection and file a report.
The NGT issued notices to all 14 respondents, including the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, the UP government, the UP state irrigation department, revenue authorities, police, forest department, Agra Nagar Nigam, the state pollution control board and district administration to file their replies in two weeks.
