PIONEER NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
In a significant decision, a division bench of Uttarakhand High Court comprising of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mehra has directed the Union ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF &CC) that in the case involving amendments in the Doon Valley notification 1989, it should act as per the orders of the Supreme Court in Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra vs. State of Uttar Pradesh case. The court also directed the petitioner Abhinav Thapar, who has challenged the amendments in the Doon Valley notification 1989, to inform the government of India about the ramification of the government order dated May 13, 2025 regarding amendments in the Doon Valley notification 1989.
The Doon Valley notification was issued on February 01, 1989 following the August 30, 1988 order of SC on sensitivity of the Doon valley on limestone mining and improvement in air quality index.
Thapar said that the objective of the 1989 notification was to conserve the environment of Dehradun and nearby areas. He said that the MoEF &CC amended the Doon Valley notification on May 13, 2025 on the recommendation of the Uttarakhand government. Thapar claims that the amendments have rendered the original purpose of the Doon Valley notification ineffective by allowing the red category industries such as crusher, mining and slaughter houses in the valley.
He said that the amendments in the Doon Valley notification are against the very soul of the National Clean Air Programme (NACP) initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. “Interestingly Dehradun and Rishikesh are among the 131 cities selected for NACP and a provision of Rs 12,286 crore has so far been made by the government of India. As per the report of the government of India, Dehradun is among ten polluted cities. Both Dehradun and Rishikesh are part of the Doon valley and it is unfortunate that the amendments rendering Doon Valley notification ineffective have been made,’’ he said.
Thapar added that the Doon valley is traversed by fault lines and falls under seismic zone IV. It is already reeling under a huge population load and its climate is changing. He said that the State government has misled the union government on the issue.
