Thursday, 15 July 2021 | PNS | Nainital
Hearing on a public interest litigation against debris and muck on the roadside, in jungles, farms and rivers during construction of roads, the Uttarakhand high court has served notices to the PWD secretary, Forest secretary, principal chief conservator of forests, Uttarakhand Rural Roads Development Agency, PMGSY, Ministry of Road Transport, the central and state pollution control boards and the National Institute of Disaster Management, seeking their response within four weeks. The matter was taken up for hearing by the division bench of chief justice RS Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma. The court has set the case for hearing next after four weeks.
According to the case details, Haldwani resident Amit Kholiya had filed the PIL eliciting focus on the road construction works being undertaken in the mountainous and plain regions of the state. The petitioner has stated that the construction of roads is not being completed on time. During the construction of roads, the resulting debris and muck are being dumped in rivers, nullahs, jungles, nearby areas and in the farmland of villages. In addition to damaging the environment, such dumping of muck in rivers can also lead to dangerous flood like situations if the dumped material accumulates, the petitioner has contended. He has further stated that some days ago during rainfall, such debris from the road works had entered a number of villages, choked a number of nullahs and severely damaged the fields of the farmers. Allegedly in order to save money, the executing agencies and the administrative officials are not ensuing the dumping of the debris and muck at the designated sites as required, the petitioner has stated.
