GNIDA penalises contractors, builders for flouting NGT norms

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority took a drive against those builders and contractors who were found violating National Green Tribunal’s guidelines. GNIDA CEO Deepak Agarwal, along with other senior officials, formed a committee and surveyed the industrial as well as commercial sectors of the city. The drive was against those who burn solid wastes openly which in turn violates the NGT’s green norms.

Soon after the NGT’s guidelines turned rigid, the GNIDA officials swung into action and imposed heavy fines on those who were found burning solid waste openly and also suspended a junior engineer and warned the local officers. The authority also fined and blacklisted a contractor for burning waste near the green belt.

Agarwal said: “We received information that waste was being burnt in a vacant plot near Daewoo Factory. I rushed to the site along with my team and police officials. Two fire tenders were called who somehow managed to douse the flames within an hour. 

The fire slowly turned massive and covered the road. We have fined Rs 20 lakh on four builders; Rs 5 lakh each for violating the green norms of NGT. The builders have been asked to pay the amount within 15 days and have been warned of further consequences if the fine is not paid within the mentioned time.”

“A local junior engineer has been suspended for his ignorance while a contractor named Jai Shree Vaishnav Traders has been fined Rs. 10,000 and has been blacklisted,” he added.

The authority has now gone strict and took some major decisions to put a complete check on these activities. 

A WhatsApp number has also been introduced by the authority on which people can send photographs if they find garbage burning openly anywhere in the city. 

Apart from this, regular surveys will be held by different teams and they will be monitored by the CEO himself.