The National Green Tribunal has accepted the recommendation given by an Oversight Committee regarding the issue relating to the protection of environment in Uttar Pradesh’s pilgrimage site Govardhan near Mathura-Vrindavan.
A three-judge bench of the NGT headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel while accepting the recommendations given by the Oversight Committee said,
“We do not see any reason not to accept the recommendations of the Oversight Committee. The Committee constituted in terms of order of this Tribunal dated 31.08.2020 may ensure compliance of the above recommendations and completion of the pending work by continuing its monitoring.”
The Committee gave the following recommendations:-
1. The progress regarding certain essential environmental protection measures like development of permanent dumping sites, boundary wall/protection around protected forest sewage/drainage network around Govardhan/ Radhakund needs to be improved.
2. The Construction of Radhakund Bypass needs to be expedited. There needs to be more urgency in starting the work on the service road. The construction of multi-level parking needs to be expedited.
3. Action Plan for cleaning of 9 Kunds should be made urgently. The study being done by NEERI needs to be expedited.
4. All encroachments on the Parikrama Marg need to be removed. Proactive efforts are made for vacation of stay orders.
5. The status of investigation in case of encroachment by Braj Foundation be reported to NGT.
6. Chief Secretary, UP should review the progress at least once in a quarter to ensure inter departmental coordination.
The directions were passed while the Green Tribunal’s Principal bench also comprising Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Nagin Nanda disposed of a plea filed by Giriraj Parikrama Sanrakshan Sansthan.
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The plea sought the Tribunal’s intervention for protection of environment in Govardhan and surrounding areas, particularly Giriraj Parvat (Hill) near Mathura-Vrindavan.
According to the applicants, on account of spiritual and cultural significance of the area, 8-10 million pilgrims from different parts of the World visit the Parikrama (path for walking around a sacred place) of Govardhan every month.
“They also visit the temples of Giriraj Ji, Radha Kund and other holy places in the vicinity. However, on account of negligence of the authorities, there were challenges to the environment like illegal felling of trees, encroachments, unscientific dumping of solid waste and discharge of untreated sewage,” the plea claimed.
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The Petitioners further contended that the area is 26 Km. West of Mathura, near the State Highway towards Deeg in Rajasthan. The Parikrama Marg (path) is about 21 Km. in the foothills where Lord Krishna is believed to have saved the people of Braj from the wrath of Lord Indra.
“There are various beliefs associated with different locations in the entire area. There is associated cultural and religious history. There are historical water bodies also, having religious and cultural significance. Large number of pilgrims visit on account of their religious sentiments,”
the plea said.
“One of the concerns of the applicants is that forest cover in the town of Goverdhan should not be destroyed and reserved forest land may not be diverted for any other purpose. This concern has shown on account of proposal for non-forest use of 3.9 hectares reserved forest land in Govardhan, for widening of the road,”
-the petitioner said.