UP chief secy tenders apology to green tribunal

GHAZIABAD: The Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, through his council, offered an “unconditional apology” to the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday for not filing a status report regarding action taken by his office to remove encroachments from water bodies in Ghaziabad. Taking notice of the apology, the green panel has given him time till August 6 to file a reply. The issue of removal of encroachments from water bodies across the state was brought to the tribunal by a petition filed by Ghaziabad-based environmentalist Sushil Raghav. The tribunal had directed the chief secretary in December last year to free water bodies of squatters and file a status report each month, for six months, starting January, 2015.a contempt notice was issued against him on July 8 this year. .