The Himachal Pradesh high court issued directives to the state government to address the rampant issue of debris dumping in Govind Sagar Lake, situated in Bilaspur district.
A division bench of chief justice MS Ramachandran Rao and justice Satyen Vaid passed the orders. The court’s intervention stemmed from a public interest petition filed by Madan Lal, the general secretary of the four-lane displaced and affected committee, on the alleged illegal dumping of debris by contractors assigned the work of widening the Kiratpur-Manali road.
The contractor of Himachal Pradesh Road and Infrastructure Development Corporation has been accused of emptying truckloads of debris in Mandwan and other drains.
Despite vehement protests from local residents, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) contractors continued to unlawfully dispose of waste in the vicinity of the Bhakra Dam reservoir, the petitioner stated.
The illegal dumping is not only causing damage to the environment but also a decrease in fish in the lake due to increase in the silt levels, the petitioner stated. The silt has impacted the breeding of various fish species, he added.
It was further stated that numerous complaints were lodged with both local authorities and the NHAI, citing the adverse impact of debris dumping near vital areas such as AIIMS in Barmana and Tunhu in Bilaspur. Additionally, the widening of the Raghunathpura-Mandi Bharari road exacerbated the situation, but no action was taken.
The court has also summoned a status report while ordering the chief secretary to monitor the action. The court clarified that it would be the responsibility of the chief secretary to take strict action against those who violate the law. The court called it a serious issue from the environmental point of view and said that the failure of government officials to take any action against those who harm the environment directly means that they have failed to discharge their constitutional and legal obligations. The court said that it is the constitutional obligation of the government to make every effort to save and improve the environment and protect the wild and aquatic animals of the country.
{{/usCountry}}The court has also summoned a status report while ordering the chief secretary to monitor the action. The court clarified that it would be the responsibility of the chief secretary to take strict action against those who violate the law. The court called it a serious issue from the environmental point of view and said that the failure of government officials to take any action against those who harm the environment directly means that they have failed to discharge their constitutional and legal obligations. The court said that it is the constitutional obligation of the government to make every effort to save and improve the environment and protect the wild and aquatic animals of the country.
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