The Supreme Court has asked the Bihar government to remove all unauthorised structures between Nauzar Ghat and Nurpur Ghat in Patna in six weeks while clamping down on encroachments on the Ganga and Yamuna river basins.
The court has also ordered status quo in an ongoing construction work carried out near Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan.
Dealing with a petition filed by one Ashok Kumar Sinha, a bench of justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan on Tuesday said, “What has been highlighted is something very serious. It is a matter of concern.”
The court was informed about encroachments between Nauzar Ghat to Nurpur Ghat in Patna and ongoing construction activity in Mathura district.
Directing the Patna encroachments to be removed in six weeks, the bench said, “Our concern is to ensure that the ecological flow of water is maintained.”
The court further noted that the structure constructed in Mathura will ultimately lead to shrinking of the river channel of the river Yamuna.
An application filed by Braj-Vrindavan Devalaya Samiti, a body of temples and sevaits in Vrindavan had informed the court about the heavy constructions with cement concrete, iron and steel being carried out in the middle of Yamuna River.
{{/usCountry}}An application filed by Braj-Vrindavan Devalaya Samiti, a body of temples and sevaits in Vrindavan had informed the court about the heavy constructions with cement concrete, iron and steel being carried out in the middle of Yamuna River.
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The court ordered status-quo, directing the state authorities not to undertake any further construction till the next date of hearing.
WIth regard to Patna constructions, the court was informed by the Bihar government that out of 213 encroachments, 58 have been demolished so far whereas the state authorities have not been able to remove 145 encroachments due to some interim orders passed by the Patna high court and district courts. It was further pointed out more than 100 encroachments exist between Nauzar Ghat and Nurpur Ghat.
On March 12, the court had sought a status report from the Centre as part of the National Mission for Clean Ganga Authority on the status of work with regard to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. On Tuesday, the court included the states of Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh as well.
Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati informed the court that she required more time to place a comprehensive report on record. According to her, some states had furnished the information but not to her satisfaction while others are yet to respond.
Advocate Akash Vashishta appearing for the petitioner said that the states are not doing anything to prevent further encroachment of river basins. He represented Sinha, a Patna resident who challenged an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) dismissing his plea over alarming illegal and unauthorized constructions and encroachments on the Ganga river floodplains in gross contravention of the regulations imposed under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 issued by the Ministry of Water Resources under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The court further directed the Ganga basin states to furnish the necessary information related to aspects such as the extent of encroachments on rivers, demarcation of floodplains and steps taken to remove the same, at the earliest, failing which the court would be compelled to summon the chief secretaries of the defaulting states.
The matter will now be taken up in September for compliance.