An government building for Haj pilgrims in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad was sealed today following an order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
A government building for Haj pilgrims in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad was sealed today following an order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The NGT ordered to seal the Haj House in Ghaziabad as did not have a Sewage Treatment Plant and its effluents were polluting Hindon river and underground water, ANI reported.
Located at the Arthala village near Hindon river, the Ghaziabad Haj House is a 7-storey building. The construction of the Haj House got completed in September 2016 and was inaugurated by the then UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The NGT, while hearing a plea seeking demolition of the building on Monday, had directed the UP Haj House Committee to ensure that a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) of 136 kilo litre per day is installed there to treat domestic effluent.
"UP Pollution Control Board shall inspect the said premises within one week and in event there being no STP of the specific capacity been found installed at the Haj House, it shall be sealed," a bench headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice U D Salvi (retired) had said.
A petition in the NGT, filed by an NGO and a Ghaziabad resident, had claimed that the land where the Haj house was constructed was recorded as 'Hindon River' in the revenue records of Village Arthala in Ghaziabad.
The NGT rejected the plea noting that the structure does not fall on the floodplains of river Hindon.
"No particulars of floodplain in terms of its physical characteristics and biological components which would signify the character of the said pieces of land in question as a floodplain, have been placed before us.
"The fact that the land has been segregated from the river Hindon with construction on embankment in 1970s makes it very difficult now to accept the contention that it falls in the floodplain zone of river Hindon," the plea said.
According to the plea, the construction of Haj house was in complete violation of the directions of the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to all authorities including police to ensure that no construction of any kind is allowed on the floodplain.
It has also referred to the 2013 NGT order which had taken note of the several illegal construction on the floodplains and passed a restraining order against any illegal construction of temporary or permanent nature on floodplains of Yamuna and Hindon.
Offering a capacity of 2,500 pilgrims at a time like the Lucknow Haj house, Ghaziabad Haj house has arrangements for foreign exchange, immigration, medical aid and other amenities for the pilgrims.
(With PTI inputs)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Ghaziabad Haj House was sealed following an NGT order")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}