NGT orders UP authorities to ascertain environmental violations by Ghaziabad school

New Delhi, Jun 12 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttar Pradesh authorities to ascertain and take action if Bal Bharti Public School in Ghaziabad’s Brij Vihar area was proceeding with constructions in violation of environmental norms.
     The green body was hearing a plea alleging that the school was carrying out construction in its premises in violation of norms such as non-registration of the project on the state pollution board web portal, failure to submit self-audit reports, non-installation of video surveillance for remote monitoring of the site, non-deployment of anti-smog guns, ineffective dust mitigation measures and improper storage of construction material.
     On May 30, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel observed the allegation also included "dereliction of educational and civil responsibility" by the school on the issues of illegally extracting groundwater, non-installation of a sewage treatment plant, use of unauthorised diesel generator sets and operating using a temporary electrical connection, violating safety and power regulations.
     "The applicant also alleges that the environmental compensation to the tune of Rs 34.2 lakh had been imposed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), but the same has not been recovered till now," the bench said.
     The NGT said the allegations needed verification on the ground level, and if the school had violated the environmental norms, authorities would take expeditious action.
     According to the records, the applicant made a representation on May 23, 2025 to the chairman UPPCB and a similar representation on the same date to the municipal commissioner of Ghaziabad.
     "These authorities are directed to duly consider the representations of the applicant and ascertain if the school was proceeding with the construction in violation of the environmental norms. If the allegations are found to be correct, then the authorities concerned will take appropriate, punitive and remedial action without any delay," the tribunal said.
     The bench continued, "So far as the recovery of environmental compensation already levied is concerned, the chairman of UPPCB will take all possible efforts to effect recovery of the environmental compensation, if there is no legal impediment in this regard."
     Disposing of the plea, the tribunal said the directions have to be complied with in eight weeks.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)