The construction of the Jananayak Chandrashekhar University was halted after a case was filed against it for undertaking construction on the area which lies within the boundaries of the Jay Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh’s Balia district. This was stated in the report filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh.
The NGT on September 19, 2025, was hearing the case filed by Dharmender Kumar Singh against the construction of Jananayak Chandrashekhar University in Balia and sewage disposal center, Balia in Surha Tal (main pond).
The plea of the applicant was that the Jay Prakash Narayan Pakshi Vihar, Surha Tal, Basantpur is in Ballia district, which has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Ganga river. It is 4.5 km long and has a ground area of 34.32 sq km, which spreads into the larger area during the rainy season. Surha Tal is historically famous for a variety of birds and is a famous bird sanctuary of Uttar Pradesh.
The application said Surha Tal is a wetland area and by constructing the University and the garbage disposal centre, an attempt is being made to block the channels for rejuvenation of the pond. This will affect the inflow of water in the pond, besides the birds therein.
The Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh said upon verification via Google Earth imagery and extensive local demarcation, it was discovered that the area under construction at Jananayak Chandrashekhar University lies within the boundaries of the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary.
A case was registered by the forest department against the registrar of the university and the contractor, Shivam Singh of DS Enterprises on April 3, 2022. The court was informed that “the construction of the university has remained halted since the registration of Range Case No. 01/2022-23 and continues to be halted till today”.
The NGT also took up the plea relating to the exclusion of the university land from the bird sanctuary limits. Jananayak Chandrashekhar University has sought four weeks’ time to file a reply. The court will next hear the case on December 18, 2025.
The eastern bench of the NGT on September 19, 2025, took up the matter of the faulty district survey report (DSR) in Jharkhand’s Godda district. The court directed that the State Level Environment Impact Assessment (SEIAA) Jharkhand; Department of Mining and Geology, Jharkhand; State Expert Appraisal Authority, Jharkhand and Divisional Forest Officer, Godda submit a reply.
The applicant, a resident of Bhagalpur district in Bihar, claimed to be directly and immediately affected due to preparation of the faulty DSR in Godda district of Jharkhand.
According to the applicant, an order should be passed for quashing and setting aside the DSR for Godda district as approved by the SEIAA, Uttar Pradesh on March 21, 2023 and April 1, 2023. This was in flagrant violation of the EIA, 2006, Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines 2016 and Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining (EMGSM) 2020 and judgments passed by the Supreme Court and the NGT, the applicant said.
A fresh DSR should be prepared for Godda and fresh auctions should be conducted after conducting a replenishment study for the year 2025 or latest available replenishment study by a credible central or state institute, the applicant said. Any letter of intent, environmental clearance and mining leases, if any granted, should be set aside.
The application said the DSR was not put up for public comments/hearing in Banka district despite mining leases being approved in the Gerua river, which constitutes the state boundary. The draft DSR for Godda was approved by the SEAC, Jharkhand, in March 21, 2023 in a hurried and casual manner. The SEAC failed to notice that the DSR has been prepared by a National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) consultant, instead of the Sub Divisional Committee as directed by the Supreme Court.
The NGT on September 19, 2025, directed the district magistrate of Budaun and Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam among others to file their response on the construction of an STP near an educational institution. The authorities have been directed to file their response at least one week before the next date of hearing, scheduled for December 19, 2025.
The applicant, Ashish Kashyap, was seeking compliance of the order dated May 26, 2025 (OA No. 257/2025). The applicant had raised a grievance against construction of a 15 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) by the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam at a distance of 208 metres from the college campus of Asim Siddique Degree College.
The application was disposed of by the tribunal by the order dated May 26, 2025. The NGT had directed that the representation submitted by the district magistrate of Budaun should be considered and the ground situation, especially the effect of the STP on the college was required. The district magistrate of Budaun was directed to take appropriate remedial measures, if required, as expeditiously as possible.
Counsel for the applicant submitted that the direction of the tribunal has not been complied with till now and the representation of the applicant has not been considered by the district magistrate of Budaun and no remedial measures have been taken.