Over 500 trees likely to be axed for Faridabad STP project: Survey

Tribune News Service

Bijendra Ahlawat

Faridabad, August 9

A survey carried out has revealed that many as 527 trees were likely to be axed for the Rs 110-crore sewage treatment plant (STP) project in the city, say officials of the local Municipal Corporation.

NOC from UP GOVT Awaited FOR 2 Years

A survey has been conducted by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Faridabad MC in the wake of the pending NOC for the STP project for the past about two years. MC official

“The survey has been conducted by a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Government and the Faridabad MC in the wake of the pending NOC for the project for the past about two years,” said a civic body official.

The delay in getting the NOC from the UP Forest Department has adversely affected the work of the project, which was launched in 2019 under the Centrally sponsored AMRUT scheme (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), it is claimed. The scheme is likely to lapse on December 31 this year, according to sources.

“The project is aimed at laying a major pipeline network having a length of 9 km from Kheri Pul to the STP at Mirzapur village to drain out sewage waste. However, due to pending NOC, the project has failed to take off,” the sources added.

They further said the 80-million litres per day (MLD) STP at Mirzapur village may be rendered useless if the project fails to start in the given time period. The land where the pipeline is to be laid belongs to the Irrigation and Forest Departments of UP, adjoining the Agra canal, a property of the UP Government. Any work to be taken up on the land requires a prior sanction of the department concerned of the UP Government.

While the project was launched with the formal approval of the UP Irrigation Department, the work got stalled soon after as its Forest Department raised the objection of not getting a clearance from it in 2020, claim the sources, who added that it involves the removal of trees and vegetation existing on the land.

“The NOC is expected soon as the survey of the trees is over,” said Manoj Kumar, an MC official.

An amount of Rs 5 crore has already been given to the UP Irrigation Department for the work, it is reported.

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