30 , January , 2024
In a major development, taking suo motu cognizance of development of a residential colony ‘Ganga Heritage’, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought an action taken report from the district administration and the pollution control board (PCB) in Haridwar on how the coloniser was granted permission for the same.
Last year on 7th November, the NGT took cognizance of an advert stating “Residential plots with private ghat starting at Rs 25 lakh, NH 34 - 5 minutes” and directed the district magistrate to inspect the spot and submit a status report. The tribunal held this as a violation of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, prohibiting construction on the riverbed.
A joint team headed by the deputy district magistrate, Ajayveer Singh, including the secretary of Haridwar Roorkee Development Authority (HRDA), executive engineer of irrigation department and regional officer of the state PCB conducted a spot inspection in Shyampur village on January 18 and found that the land fell under the “prohibited area”. HRDA secretary Uttam Singh Chauhan said, “Notices were issued to the developer, following which he bulldozed the demarcation of plotting on the said land for which he had earlier issued advertisements.”
