HC seeks Ganga’s response on Rishikesh pollution

The Uttarakhand high court issued a notice to the Ganga on Friday, just over a month after the river was declared a liv ing entity.

This is the first time that the river, considered holy by Hindus has been served a legal notice after the Uttarakhand HC, in a landmark verdict on March 20 granted it and Yamuna the lega identity and rights of a person as laid out in the Constitution.

A bench of justice VK Bisht and justice Alok Singh also issued notices to the state government state pollution control board, Ris hikesh Nagar Palika and Centra Pollution Control Board, seeking their reply by May 8 on a PIL chal lenging the government proposa to create a garbage dump in Ris hikesh.

The PIL, filed by Swarup Singh Pundir, the gram pradhan (vil lage head) of Khadak Maf village claims that the Ganga flows on two sides of the 10-acre land ear marked for the garbage dump.

As per the petitioner, a pro posal to create the garbage dump was made in 2015 and after secur ing the required approvals including from National Green Tribunal, a detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared

In his petition, Pundir, said that on one hand, the government was spending crores of rupees to clean the river under the Nam ami Gange project while on the other hand it was allowing con struction of a garbage dump spread over 10 acre land that has Ganga flowing on its two sides.