Uttarakhand HC seeks reply from authorities on Ganga pollution
The Uttarakhand high court on Friday sought replies from eight parties in the state and Namami Gange project’s mission director over pollution in the Ganga river’s Rishikesh-Haridwar stretch
The Uttarakhand high court on Friday sought replies from eight parties in the state and Namami Gange project’s mission director over pollution in the Ganga river’s Rishikesh-Haridwar stretch.
The high court took the suo motu cognizance of a video circulated on the social media on the state of the river’s in Rishikesh-Haridwar stretch.
The court also asked the registrar general to register the matter as a public interest litigation and place the same before the court of Chief Justice KM Joseph.
A video with a voice over of one Swami Vikas asking individuals not to collect water from the river in Haridwar and Rishikesh. The video purportedly shows drains opening up in the river.
Justice Alok Singh, while taking the notice of the video, said: “It has come to the knowledge of this court that drainage and sewage of Rishikesh and Haridwar cities are being opened in the holy river. Despite of various schemes, projects and directions from the high court and tribunals for making the Ganga clean, the state government and concerned authorities are doing nothing.”
The HC has handed its order to the chief standing counsel (CSC) and union counsel Rakesh Thapliyal.
The notice is also marked to Uttarakhand chief secretary, principal secretary (water), principal secretary irrigation, chairman, Uttarakhand environment protection and pollution control board, district magistrates of Dehradun and Haridwar, SSPs of Dehradun and Haridwar.
The single bench directed all the parties to file their replies on or before May 2.