NOIDA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought an explanation from the Uttar Pradesh government about delay in demarcation of the Hindon river floodplain, and directed the authorities to act expeditiously to complete the process.
The matter was heard on February 16 by a bench comprising chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel in a case concerning floodplain demarcation of the Yamuna and Hindon rivers.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the Survey of India, informed the tribunal that most of the required geospatial data had already been shared with the state government.
In its order, the bench said, “Learned counsel appearing for the respondent-Survey of India on instruction from Mr. Ravindra Meena, superintending surveyor, has submitted that so far as the river Yamuna is concerned the complete data for the entire stretch has been provided to the State of UP and so far as river Hindon is concerned the complete data will be provided during the course of the day.” (sic)
As the state government informed the tribunal that ground verification and demarcation of the Yamuna floodplain would be completed soon, the order recorded, “Learned counsel appearing for the State of UP submits that the ground truthing and demarcation of flood plain of river Yamuna at the ground level will be completed within two months.”
The state also referred to an irrigation department affidavit, filed on December 12 which stated that the demarcation of the floodplain zone of the Hindon river can only be undertaken upon receipt of complete survey data from the UP Geospatial Directorate, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow (Survey of India), and after completion of hydrological modelling and scientific analysis by the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee.
The affidavit said, “Presently, data for the remaining revised area of approximately 464 square kilometres is awaited, and the demarcation process shall be undertaken immediately upon receipt of complete and verified data. The NIH Roorkee informed that it is likely to take about nine months to complete the model study for flood plain zone of Hindon river after the study of flood plain zone by NIH Roorkee, the irrigation department will start the work of ground level demarcation of flood plain zone on both sides of Hindon river, which is lightly to take three months.”
The bench’s order also recorded that after receiving the full data set, a model study by the National Institute of Hydrology will be conducted before ground-level demarcation begins.
It noted that “after receiving the entire data from the Survey of India, the model study for flood plain zone is to be done by the NIH Roorkee which will take nine months thereafter the work of demarcation of flood plain at the ground level will start.”
The tribunal, however, raised concerns over the need for such a study if the required data had already been submitted.
The bench in its order said, “Learned counsel appearing for the State of UP could not justify the action of the model study for flood plain zone NIH Roorkee, once the complete data is submitted by the Survey of India. Unless there is a justification for doing such study, the same should not be undertaken because it delays the demarcation of flood plain at the ground level.”
The order recorded that “superintending surveyor from the Survey of India has informed that complete data with geo-coordinates has been provided to the State of UP.”
In view of the delay, the tribunal thus directed the state government, “Hence, we require the State of UP to do the needful expeditiously and submit the action taken report at least one week before the next date of hearing (May 25, 2026).”
The case forms part of ongoing proceedings before the tribunal concerning the protection, mapping and demarcation of river floodplains in the region.