Remove illegal construction around ecological areas of Ganga: Uttarakhand high court

DEHRADUN: A day after a two-judge Uttarakhand high court bench of Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice Alok Singh directed the state government to clean up Ganga’s surrounding areas in ecologically sensitive zones and rid it of all illegal construction, top officials began measures to clear these within a periphery of 200 meters around the Ganga in virgin areas.

The bench also asked these officials to present before it the action taken report as early as possible. Officials led by vice-chairman of Haridwar Development Authority have started work on implementing the court order, said administration sources.

The bench gave its order on the basis of a PIL filed by one Dinesh Bhardwaj in Roorkee. Bhardwaj had said that despite a government order in 2000 declaring 200 metres of Ganga ecologically sensitive near prohibited zones, illegal constructions were going on unchecked. Bhardwaj said massive illegal activities like hotels and other buildings were threatening the existence of the river. The PIL stated that illegal constructions would choke the river to its death.