Click to play videoNew Delhi: Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan has ordered an investigate into the sale of wetlands in Greater Noida's Dadri by the Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh government sold 2400 acre of wetlands, home to over 5,000 migratory birds to a private builder.
"We are extremely concerned about the project on wetland in Greater Noida. A fact-finding team has been sent to Greater Noida this morning. If it is found that the project is illegal, will order the project to be stopped," said Jayanthi Natarajan.
As the area is home to large number migratory birds the government should have declared the area a wetland as per the law. The wetlands visited by migratory birds from as far as Siberia and Spain were sold to Ansals for a mega housing project in Greater Noida.
Ansals, however, told CNN-IBN that they would protect the wetlands as a lake.
When CNN-IBN visited the area, it found that pillars had been erected, and sand was being dumped and the entire area.
"The area was beautiful and pristine when we discovered this five years ago as a birding destination. And it is almost six years now since we discovered this as a birding area. What is happening is the construction with lots of people moving and lots of bulldozers moving. There is lot of noise and light, so all these are not good from the point of view of migratory birds," said Anand Arya, an environmentalist.
Anand Arya has recorded over 200 species of birds, of which many are on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, given the highest protection by the state.
A letter from the Ministry of Environment and Forest confirms the illegality of the construction, asking the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh to investigate.
"How the illegal sale of wetlands of Bil Akbarpur to a private housing project was allowed?" asked the Environment Ministry.
The Ansals have claimed they are building a green megapolis and haven't broken any law.
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