Thursday, 05 May | PNS | NAINITAL
Hearing on a public interest litigation against conversion of river area into barren land and heavy construction on it in the eco sensitive zone of Dehradun valley, the Uttarakhand high court has directed the Dehradun district magistrate and the State government to submit their reply within four weeks. The division bench of justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and justice RC Khulbe has asked under which laws was the river area converted into barren land. The case is set for hearing next on June 4.
According to the case details, Dehradun resident Ajay Narayan Sharma and two others had filed the PIL in the high court stating that the Rispana and Bindal rivers were being encroached upon in the Doon valley. The petitioners have stated that parts of the land where the rivers flow are being shown as barren land and heavy construction works are being undertaken on such areas. Such activities are threatening the existence of the rivers while also damaging the environment. The petitioners have further said that the permission of the Government of India was not taken for converting the status of submerged land to barren land whereas it is clearly stated in Government of India’s 1989 notification that the permission of the Central government is mandatory for such conversion of land status. Converting the status of the land, an IT Park was being constructed which was also against the Dehradun masterplan, the petitioners have stated.
