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The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member) and Dr. Afroz Ahmad (Expert Member), held a hearing in the matter pertaining to illegal encroachments and floodplain management along the Rispana river in Dehradun.
During the hearing, the Tribunal reviewed compliance reports submitted by several state departments, including the Uttarakhand State Pollution Control Board, Pey Jal Nigam, Irrigation Department, and an affidavit filed by the Chief Secretary of the Government of Uttarakhand. The affidavit detailed the extent of encroachments across various jurisdictions. Within the Dehradun Municipal Corporation limits, 89 encroachments were identified, of which 69 were removed, while 20 were found to have existed prior to March 11, 2016. In the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority's jurisdiction, 413 encroachments were recorded, with 66 removed and 347 predating March 2016. The Mussoorie Nagar Palika Parishad reported the removal of 10 encroachments, while two were longstanding. Additionally, the district administration identified 11 encroachments on non-ZA land, removing 5 and noting that six had existed before March 2016. The affidavit also mentioned that a final notification for the demarcation of the Rispana river floodplain had been issued in May 2025. However, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) raised concerns about the adequacy of the state's submissions. Specifically, the NMCG pointed out that the documents failed to clearly delineate the floodplain's extent across different return periods--namely, 5, 25, and 100 years--and did not specify which structures fell within these zones. The Tribunal noted that the legality of constructions along the river would hinge on several factors, including whether the land was public or private, whether statutory permissions had been obtained, and whether the structures posed ecological risks or impeded the river's natural flow. In response, the NGT directed the State of Uttarakhand and its relevant departments to furnish the necessary information to the NMCG within three months. The Director General of the NMCG was instructed to initiate action under Section 6(3) of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, within six months. Furthermore, the Tribunal mandated that respondents submit Action Taken Reports within the prescribed timelines. The matter has been scheduled for the next hearing on December 22, 2025. In the interim, the Tribunal's previous order dated December 16, 2024, will remain in abeyance. The present order has been circulated to all key stakeholders, including the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and the Director General of the NMCG, to ensure compliance, it stated. (ANI)
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