NGT Prohibits Construction Of Buildings At The UP Bird Sanctuary

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Registrar of Jannayak Chandrashekhar University not to construct any buildings within the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) at the Jai Prakash Narayan (Surha Tal) Bird Sanctuary.

A bench of Arun Kumar Tyagi and Afroz Ahmad was hearing a petition filed by Dharmender Kumar Singh against the illegal building construction by Jannayak Chandrashekhar University in the buffer zone of Surha Tal at Vasantpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The NGT further directed the District Magistrate of Ballia and the Divisional Forest Officer of the Kashi Wildlife Division in Ramnagar to demarcate the Eco Sensitive Zone area, identify encroachments, remove them as necessary, and install signboards at locations indicating that the area is a no-construction zone and that no new construction may be built thereon. They were also instructed to submit an action taken report.

According to the Tribunal, the construction in the ESZ is not only illegal, but also violates the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 and the National Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017.

In light of this, the Registrar of Jannayak Chandrashekhar University, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, is directed not to carry out any additional development on any part of land within an ESZ area of one kilometre from the boundary of the Jai Prakash Narayan (Surha Tal) Bird Sanctuary, Ballia.

The Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary, built in 1991, is an important habitat for birds, including several migratory species. Several activities are prohibited or regulated in the eco-sensitive zone surrounding the sanctuary.

According to a research, various migrating bird species visit the sanctuary each year and stay there for more than three months.