Green activists ask govt to reserve area for developing water bodies

In order to conserve rapidly depleting groundwater resources in Gautam Buddh Nagar, environmental activists in Noida have asked the UP chief secretary to ensure implementation of a government order that had been issued in 2001 which makes it mandatory for infrastructure projects of more than 20 acres to reserve 5 per cent of their total area for the development of water bodies. This issue has been raised by activists in light of the fact that most government departments and agencies are apparently not following this rule.