Hearing on a public interest litigation against mining on the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar, the Uttarakhand high court has directed the state government to clarify the situation by March 8. Issuing this direction, the division bench of acting chief justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and justice RC Khulbe has set the next date for hearing of the case on March 8.
According to the case details, Matri Sadan in Haridwar had filed the PIL stating that the rules were blatantly being flouted and mining was being carried out on the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar which is posing a threat to the existence of the river. Those undertaking such mining activities are working against the efforts of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). The PIL had appealed to the court to put a stop on the illegal mining in the Ganga riverbed so that the river can be saved. The petitioner further stated that now mining activities are also being carried out in the Kumbh Mela area. It is also stated in the petition that the Government of India had formed the NMCG to save the Ganga river with one of its main aims being to clean the river and ensure its survival. The petitioner stated that the NMCD had repeatedly directed the state government that mining activities should not be undertaken on the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar. However, the state government did not ensure the execution of these directions, the petitioner contended.
It is pertinent to mention here that ascetics of Matri Sadan have undertaken protest fast unto death seeking ban on mining in the Ganga in Haridwar. Nigamanand and Gyan Swaroop Sanand (GD Agrawal) had died while undertaking protest fasts on the issue.