Supreme Court stays fine on Ghaziabad panchayat over water

The Supreme Court has paused the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) decision to fine a Nagar Panchayat in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The fine of ₹2.61 crore was for not protecting local water bodies from encroachment and pollution. The court's ruling also stops the NGT's order for criminal action against the Panchayat for not building a sewage treatment plant (STP). This STP was meant to clean waste from village ponds. The Supreme Court has instructed the Panchayat to work with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to improve the situation. The court stated that while the NGT's goals are important, they should also support the Panchayat. The Panchayat argued that it cannot be solely responsible for maintaining encroachment-free water bodies. They highlighted the environmental concerns raised by an NGO, Paryavaran Mitra, which reported significant encroachment and pollution in the area. The NGT had imposed the fine based on the amount of waste generated by the area over several years. The local Panchayat said it lacks funds to build an STP, which could cost over ₹19 crore. They have tried to take action against the individuals encroaching on the ponds but acknowledged their limited resources. The Supreme Court will continue to hear the case on April 25, seeking input from the involved parties, including the NGO, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the pollution control board.