Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): The MP Pollution Control Board (PCB) has imposed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) in connection with the case going on in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding seven ancient ponds of the city including Govardhan Sagar. In this regard, a notice has been issued and 15 days has been given to deposit the amount.
According to sources, the PCB issued a notice to the UMC on January 24. This amount has been asked to be deposited within 15 days. A case is going on in NGT for the last three years. Bakir Ali Rangwala, president of Manthan Paramarthika Sanstha, has made the State government a party in NGT. This case was filed to free the Saptsagars of Ujjain from encroachment. In this case, the PCB imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5 crore on the UMC on September 7, 2022.
No action has been taken on this till now. For this reason, it has now been increased to Rs 3 crore, sources said. Govardhan Sagar located in the centre of the city has been declared a pond by the NGT. After this decision, a way has been cleared to remove encroachment from the pond land. After declaring this land of survey number 1281 as a pond, considering it as government, former collector Asheesh Singh had given instructions to remove the encroachment.
Then the UMC issued notices to 24 people. It is said that Sagar was on 36 bighas of land, which has now reduced considerably. Ujjain Smart City Company had also made a plan of Rs 13 crore for the renovation of Govardhan Sagar. The UMC had made a beautification and development plan worth Rs 8.5 crore for Govardhan Sagar. Its tender was also issued and opened but later it fell into limbo, due to which the UMC was not in a position to tell the NGT yet what steps it has taken for Saptsagar.
According to PCB’s regional officer HK Tiwari, a notice of imposing a penalty of Rs 3 crore to the UMC has been issued and 15 days has been given to deposit the amount. Earlier also a notice of Rs 1.5 crore was given, he said. On being contacted, UMC commissioner Ashish Pathak said that a representation was made over imposing a fine of Rs 1.5 crore on the UMC. Now, notice has been received to deposit the increased fine of Rs 3 crore, so the UMC will make representation on it during the virtual hearing of the case on February 29.
According to him, the STP constructed by Tata Projects has been functional up to 80 percent and its commissioning will also be done soon.
