Tuesday, 14 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday directed the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) to remove about 550 encroachments on the riverbed of the Rispana River by June 30. The NGT stated this in a hearing in Delhi and is expected to issue a written order regarding the same within two days, the additional municipal commissioner Gopal Ram Binwal told The Pioneer. The Dehradun municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar along with Binwal presented the report of the survey done so far in the city to NGT. They informed in the hearing that the corporation formed a task force to conduct a survey to remove encroachments on the riverbed of the Rispana and Bindal rivers. In the first phase, the teams identified about 550 encroachments in 129 slums alongside the Rispana river that were set up after 2016. After analysing the collected data, the MCD found out that out of the identified encroachments, over 400 structures were formed on MDDA’s land and 12 on Mussoorie Nagar Palika’s land. The MCD also issued notices to owners of about 100 structures on May 8 who encroached upon the corporation’s land near the river. The corporation presented all the data in its report to NGT on Monday. Binwal said that the NGT verbally stated to remove the marked encroachments by June 30. Besides this, the NGT also asked MCD to identify all flood zones in the city that often cause loss of lives and property after heavy rainfall. “We are yet to receive the written order from NGT. It will possibly be issued in a day or two. The corporation will take further action accordingly,” he said.
