HC seeks detailed reply from Govt in PIL on floating huts & restaurant on Tehri lake
Tuesday, 09 January 2024 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has sought a detailed reply from the State government and the pollution control board in the matter of floating huts and floating restaurant on the Tehri dam reservoir serving non-vegetarian food and dumping waste and sewage into the sacred Bhagirathi river. The division bench of acting chief justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and justice Vivek Bharti Sharma issued this direction on Monday while hearing a public interest litigation against the dumping of waste and sewage from the floating restaurant and huts in the Bhagirathi river. The court has sought the detailed reply by February 22.
During the hearing on Monday, the court was not satisfied with the report submitted by the State government and the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UPCB). It directed the government and the UPCB to submit a detailed reply in an affidavit by February 22. It will be recalled that earlier during the hearing of the PIL on January 5, the UPCB had stated in its affidavit that the license of the floating huts had expired on March 31, 2023. The operator submitted an application on December 21, 2023 for renewal of the license. The UPCB issued the license for operation of the floating huts on January 1 this year. The court had then asked how the floating huts and restaurant were functioning with an expired license.
Swargashram resident Navin Singh Rana had filed the PIL stating that the State government gave permission for operating a floating restaurant and floating huts on the Tehri dam reservoir to encourage tourism. However, the permission was misused as non-vegetarian food is cooked and its waste is dumped in the sacred Bhagirathi river. The sewage from the floating huts is also dumped into the river, the petitioner stated. The petitioner has contended that such actions are hurting the sentiments of the followers of Sanatan Dharma. Rana had earlier written to the district magistrate, chief secretary and the Central government requesting that such activities be stopped. However, no action was taken, due to which Rana had to move court.
