The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 26, 2025, directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to reply on noise pollution caused by vehicular traffic on a national highway adversely affecting Uttar Pradesh’s Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary.
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) conducted noise monitoring near the sanctuary. The exercise revealed that the noise level recorded near the sanctuary was higher than prescribed standards.
The counsel appearing for the UPPCB submitted that a communication would be sent to the NHAI for installing noise bearers in order to control the noise level.
The NGT on April 3, 2024, had taken note of the fact that the noise level was much higher than prescribed standards in certain areas as found by the UPPCB. The pollution regulator had submitted that punitive and remedial action would be taken.
The UPPCB submitted a report on July 26, 2024, disclosing the action proposed/taken. The report said the project director of NHAI, Lucknow had informed that signboards of “No Honking Zone” have been put up by the NHAI in the area near the sanctuary in Unnao.
The additional chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh’s Department of Environment Forest and Climate Change, vide a letter dated April 6, 2022, had issued direction to district magistrates (DM) to provide a proposal regarding notification of ‘Silent Zone’ for sensitive areas in their respective districts. The letter was also copied to UPPCB, directing it to coordinate with the DMs and send a proposal of ‘Silent Zone’.
The Unnao DM vide a letter dated June 16, 2024, had proposed a 100-metre area around the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary as a ‘Silent Zone’. The UPPCB vide a letter dated July 9, 2024, had sent the Unnao DM’s proposal to the Department of Environment Forest and Climate Change, for notification of the Zone.
An inspection was conducted by a joint committee on June 26, 2024, around the 100-metre area to identify noise pollution sources. The committee found the national highway (NH25) 66 metres to the east and the Kewana road at 83 metres to the southeast of the 100-metre area. There are no other sources of noise pollution.
The divisional director of the Unnao forest department informed on June 26, 2024, that 250 pilkhan saplings can be planted on the left track between 41 and 43 km of the Kanpur National highway, along with tree guards, which would be helpful in reducing the intensity of noise pollution.
A demand has been made for the tree plantation budget to higher authorities. The work of intensive tree guards will be completed after receiving the budget.
The NGT on September 26, 2025, directed that two cases related to increase in ozone pollution should be clubbed. The case would next be heard on November 12, 2025.
The tribunal was examining the issue of rising ground level ozone pollution across major Indian cities. The NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of an article appearing in Down to Earth on August 6, 2024, titled CSE report finds dangerous increase in ozone pollution across urban India.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on September 25, 2025, disclosed that ozone levels were analysed in 10 regions cited in the CSE report covering 178 monitoring locations — Delhi-National Capital Region (57 stations); Mumbai Metropolitan Region (45 stations); Kolkata Metropolitan Area (10 stations); Greater Hyderabad (14 stations); Bengaluru Metropolitan Area (11 stations); Chennai Metropolitan Area (7 stations); Pune Metropolitan Region (12 stations); Greater Ahmedabad (10 stations); Greater Lucknow (6 stations) and Greater Jaipur (6 stations).
The report said: “The Delhi-NCR and Mumbai Metropolitan Regions reported higher exceedances of ozone concentration compared to other regions.” The elevated levels could be attributed to emissions from the transport sector, power plants, and industrial activities, which collectively contribute to the overall NOx emission load.
The counsel for the CPCB submitted that in a CPCB report filed for another case, a study was proposed to identify and recommend specific measures for planning and controlling the sources of ozone and its precursors and formation of the Expert Committee has also been recommended by the MoEF&CC. The issue is in progress in that case.
The counsel appearing for the district magistrate (DM) of Lucknow and the municipal commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Lucknow sought four weeks’ time from the NGT on September 26, 2025, to place on record the details of waterbodies falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the Corporation, the status of encroachments on those water bodies and their present condition.
The counsel appearing for the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has drawn attention of the court to the report filed by the CGWA disclosing that National Aquifer Mapping was done by the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) and a block wise management plan was prepared.
The report said the CGWB conducted National Aquifer Mapping (NAQUIM) study in Lucknow district during 2021. Block-wise management plans have been prepared for implementation by the Uttar Pradesh government to arrest the further decline in groundwater levels and depletion of groundwater resources. The management plan recommends both supply-side and demand-side measures, including artificial recharge, water conservation on-farm activities, and adoption of water use efficiency measures.
The counsel appearing for the Lucknow DM and the municipal commissioner also sought four weeks’ time to place on record the progress, if any, made in the implementation of the block-wise management plan as prepared by the CGWB. The next hearing has been scheduled for December 17, 2025.