The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Wetlands Authority of Delhi to convene a meeting and take a decision on whether the Tikri Khurd lake in Narela is a wetland. The authority has been asked to decide on the issue within a month.
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “If any steps are required to be taken for making the Wetland Authority fully functional, such steps may be taken by the Delhi Chief Secretary. Even if it is found that the area in question is not technically a wetland, the lake is required to be preserved as a water body.”
Adding that the authority can co-opt the Delhi Development Authority as a member under relevant rules, the Bench stated: “Effective joint decision can be taken to resolve the dispute whether the area falls within the jurisdiction of the DDA or the Delhi government.”
Wetlands authority
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has also been directed to ascertain whether the National Wetlands Authority is functioning at the central level across States and Union Territories.
“If not, their functioning is required to be operational within one month. Such authorities may identify wetlands and water bodies and take further steps for their protection. A status report in the matter may be furnished before the next step,” the Bench said.
The green panel also came down heavily on the DDA after it informed the Bench that the lake does not exist in the records.
“The stand of the DDA does not show commitment for conserving water body and merely focuses on technicalities and shifting responsibility, which is an attitude not expected from a public body,” the green tribunal noted.
