'Dadri wetland images in 2 weeks'

GREATER NOIDA/ NEW DELHI: The Remote Sensing Applications Centre, Lucknow, told the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday that it will produce remote images of Bil Akbarpur wetland in Dadri in two weeks. The images are expected to bring much clarity on the extent of shrinkage of the wetland and help the ongoing probe into the matter pending with the NGT since 2012.
RSAC scientist Virender Kumar pledged to submit the wetland images to the NGT during a hearing in the case on Wednesday.
The tribunal in an earlier hearing constituted a high-level panel to probe how and why real estate development in Dadri reduced the massive marsh land to less than half its size, from 72 hectares to 32.7 hectares since 2009.
The panel, which was constituted on December 5 last year and was supposed to submit its report to the NGT on Wednesday, has failed to come up with its findings before the tribunal twice before. It has however submitted an 'interim report' before the tribunal. The final report shall be produced only after the RSAC submits images of the wetland. "By delaying the procedure of justice, the authorities are only abetting the cause of the proponents who have flouted environmental norms," said Amit Khemka, counsel for the petitioners, environmentalists Vikrant Tongad and Akash Vashisht.
The almost dry wetland, a catchment area within a U-shaped water body, is home to rare wild animals such as nilgai, deer and black buck.