Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Charan Singh Vs State of Punjab dated 02/08/2023.

The applicant, Charan Singh in his letter petition to the NGT said that five ponds in village Alamgir, district Ludhiana are severely polluted and causing unhygienic conditions for the residents. He gave the instance of a pond situated near Baba Dera - the pond covering an area of 4 acres has been encroached by the villagers and is filled with dirty water, garbage and American grass. Another pond situated near the government Senior Secondary School receives overflow from nearby drain leading to foul smell and unhygienic conditions.

A Joint Committee comprising of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Integrated Regional Office at Chandigarh, Punjab State Pollution Control Board (PSPCB) and District Magistrate (DM), Ludhiana was directed by the NGT to undertake visits to the site and take appropriate remedial action including identification of the encroachers, removal of encroachments and rejuvenation of the ponds. The committee was asked to submit a report within two months.