HC pulls up officials, seeks detailed report on Mussoorie foothill constructions by June 9
Friday, 28 May 2021 | PNS | Nainital
Pulling up the Mussoorie Dehreadun Development Authority (MDDA) vice chairman and Dehradun municipal commissioner for not submitting a detailed report on buildings being constructed illegally on the foothills of Mussoorie in violation of the foothill policy, the Uttarakhand high court has directed that the report be submitted in the court by June 9. The division bench of chief justice RS Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma issued this direction while hearing on a public interest litigation filed by Dehradun resident Reenu Paul.
According to the case details, finding the buildings constructed on land with more than 30 degree gradient to be in violation of Uttarakhand building bylaws, the division bench had in the previous hearing directed that such constructions should be sealed. The petitioner had also pointed out that according to a 2015 amendment in the Uttarakhaand construction policy, construction of buildings was not permitted on land with more than 30 degrees gradient. However, in blatant violation of this law, various smaller hills between Dehradun and Mussoorie are being cut and buildings are being constructed indiscriminately. The petitioner had further contended that such activity is causing damage to the environment and making the Shivalik mountains unstable. Taking serious cognisance of the matter, the high court had sought a detailed report by May 27. In addition to this, the petitioner had also provided photographs to the court to show how hills were being destroyed indiscriminately for construction of buildings.
It is pertinent to mention here that though the issue of indiscriminate constructions on the foothills between Dehradun and Mussoorie was raised earlier too, the authorities evidently ignored the issue. The previous mayor of Dehradun, Vinod Chamoli had also expressed concern and written about this to the state government while in the mayoral office.
