The National Green Tribunal took strong exception to the blatant violation of its earlier order banning camping activities in the entire belt of Kaudiyala to Rishikesh on the banks of river Ganga in Uttarakhand.
The tribunal, in August last, had cancelled fresh permission for beach camps directing the State forest department to constitute a committee to frame policy and furnish a report on capacity building in the area and the spots suitable for camping sites in future. On December 10 last year, the tribunal had once again banned camping activities in the entire belt till the regulatory regime comes into force.
Reviewing its previous orders on Tuesday, a bench headed by the NGT Chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar, pointed out, The directions in relation to keeping the prohibited area of activity have been flagrantly violated and authorities of the State have not complied with the directions...”
The bench directed the Uttarakhand Government to file an affidavit as to whether any camps were operating within 100 metres from the middle of Ganga or its tributaries. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 18.
Further, the panel also directed the district magistrates and Superintendent of Police of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar along with the public authorities to ensure closure of eight industries and three hotels for causing pollution and file a compliance report in this regard.
Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board informed the bench that they had issued a letter to the administration and other public authorities to ensure that polluting industries and hotels be closed and their supply of electricity and water also be disconnected. The board however submitted that till date they have not received any reply.
The direction came after the tribunal took note of a newspaper report claiming that some resorts have put up beach camping tents in Havel valley in Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district on the banks of the Havel River, a tributary of Ganga, as a part of New Year celebrations.
The panel had constituted a committee of officials from various departments of central and Uttarakhand Government to prepare a regulatory regime which would be submitted to the tribunal within three weeks.