Hindon riverbanks in Noida to be cleaned every month

A group of environmental activists along with the Noida authority has conducted a meeting this Thursday to tackle the problem related to the cleanliness of the Hindon riverbanks. They have planned to now make the area encroachment-free and organise a plantation drive. It is very important for the rivers as National Green Tribunal (NGT) has time and time again instructed the authority to clean the Hindon river. 

Noida latest updates

“Earlier, I had filed a petition in the NGT over pollution in the Hindon after which the tribunal asked the Noida Authority to take action in this regard. In the meeting held today (Thursday), it was planned to conduct plantation on at least 500 metres starting from the banks of the Hindon. We will also clean the riverbank in a monthly drive,” stated Abhisht Kusum Gupta, an environmental activist and petitioner. 

Back in 2020, September, NGT issued an order instructing all the Union Territories along with states to make an action plan regarding the polluted river stretches to make it lean and prevent any bathing for at least 6 months period. Although, the tribunal realised that all the plans and actions is only on paper nothing actual action has been taken to clean it. 

“Initially, we planned to visit the Hindon river and chalk out the plan on cleanliness and plantation drive. We will share more details as and when the drive starts,” said Vandana Tripathi, the officer on special duty (OSD), Noida Authority. 

For those who don’t know, the Hindon river is a 400-km-long river that goes through many districts including Mathura, Saharanpur, Meerut, Baghpat, Noida and Ghaziabad and finally joining the Yamuna river in the Momnathal village in Sector 150. With time, the riverbanks around the Hindon river have been encroached on by thousands of migrant workers working and living there.