Ghaziabad, Aug 5 (IANS): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Monday issued notice to government agencies here and in other National Capital Region (NCR) towns against concretization of ground surfaces.

The notice followed a petition filed by Akash Vashishtha of Hindustan Environment Action Group (HEAG) and asked the respondents to appear before the tribunal Sep 2.

The petitioner said that blatant concretization was raising temperatures by as much as six degrees Celsius and atmospheric carbon levels (a major greenhouse gas that leads to atmospheric warming), preventing rain water percolation and destroying green cover.

The NGT issued notice to the ministries of urban development and poverty alleviation, environment and forests, the Uttar Pradesh government, the Ghaziabad Development Authority, the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

"All the principles and parameters for urban planning are being sidelined and only monetary gains are being considered. Such a pattern of planning is flawed and unsustainable... Our future generations will have to pay dearly for such destructive development," Vashishtha said.

The Delhi High Court had ordered leaving a 6X6 feet open space around every tree. The NGT ordered a one metre space around trees. Both orders are being reportedly flouted.