Monday, 20 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Congress spokesman Abhinav Thapar said that the decision taken by the government to make the Doon Valley notification (1989) ineffective must be withdrawn to save the environment of the region and its 15 lakh inhabitants. Addressing the media at Congress Bhawan on Sunday, he said that considering the environmentally sensitive nature of the valley, the provision had been made to protect the environment in Dehradun and nearby areas including Mussoorie, Sahaspur, Doiwala, Rishikesh and Vikasnagar. However, acting on the State government’s proposal, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a government order in December 2023 to make the notification ineffective. As a result, the way was paved for heavy industrial activity and Red category industries which were earlier banned. “I wrote to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February this year eliciting his focus on these issues for saving Doon valley. The decision to remove the notification will increase environmental damage and pollution in this region. Following the intervention of the Prime Minister’s office, the MoEFCC asked the State Forest department to issue a letter in this regard on February 13 but no action is visible yet on this subject,” Thapar said.
