NGT takes suo motu notice of Express report on N-choe

The reply, submitted by the member ember Secretary of CPCC, further states, “To curb garbage and construction & demolition waste dumping along the banks of Patiala-ki-Rao, extending from Khuda Lahora village to N-choe, the Municipal Corporation has initiated night surveillance and increased challaning to discourage waste dumping. It’s crucial to note that all choes, including Patiala Ki Rao, N-Choe and Sukhna Choe, fall within the jurisdiction of the Chandigarh Administration. The engineering wing of Chandigarh Administration is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of these choes.”

T C Nautiyal, chairman of CPCC and director of UT Environment Department, affirmed, “The report that prompted NGT’s suo-motu action was found to be genuine. We provided geo-tagged photographs depicting ongoing work in the choes. NGT issued a notice via email to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, and CPCC filed a detailed reply today. MC officials were told to keep extra vigil on N Choe.”

Simultaneously, a joint team from the MOH wing of MC and the engineering wing of UT Administration surveyed the entire length of N-choe, starting from Bougainvillea Garden in Sector 3 to the last point up to Sector 53. In a three-part series, The Indian Express shed light on the poor state of three seasonal streams — N Choe, Sukhna Choe and Patiala-ki-Rao — where sewage water, garbage, including solid waste and wet waste, along with carcasses of dead animals, were being indiscriminately dumped.