U’khand HC stays construction on river banks as debris piles up

NAINITAL: In a landmark judgment, Uttarakhand high court on Monday stayed all construction activities/widening of roads on the river banks in the state, which automatically includes under construction dams, till muck disposal sites are identified and become operational.

The court has directed the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board and revenue agencies to identify suitable muck disposal sites 500 meters away from the river banks within three weeks, said Kartikey Hari Gupta, counsel for the petitioner in the case. A division bench of Justice Rajeev Sharma and Justice Lok Pal Singh gave the verdict while disposing of a 2015 public interest petition filed by Himadri Jan Kalyan Sansthan.

Gupta said the petition had raised concern that three hydel power projects in the state — LANCO, L&T and Alaknanda hydel power project — were leading to accumulation of debris in the rivers concerned, affecting the ecology and damaging the environment. The petition claimed that whenever the river water rises, it washes away the excavated material left on the banks by the companies, and was causing the rivers to change course leading to loss to life and property. Gupta said the court took a broader view of the issue and gave a landmark order that he said is binding on all underconstruction dams in the state.

“The court, while further taking judicial note of receding glaciers and depleting quality of water in the rivers of the state, further stated that the district magistrates of all the districts would be personally held responsible if any illegal muck is disposed on any place which is not sanctioned and demarcated,” Gupta said.