New Delhi. The National Green Tribunal on Thursday directed Uttarakhand authorities to fix the temporary carrying capacity of pilgrim horses on the pilgrimage routes of Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, Yamunotri and Gomukh within a month. The tribunal is hearing a petition claiming large-scale unregulated violation of environmental norms, including dumping of uncontrolled horse dung, waste or carcasses at the four pilgrimage sites.
The tribunal has also asked the authorities concerned at the four pilgrimage sites to complete a study within a year to determine the capacity of pilgrims. A bench of National Green Tribunal chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava said the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) did not file its report regarding the carrying capacity of the pilgrim horses even though the board’s counsel in January told the tribunal to submit it within two months. “Positive filing” was assured.
Also read:- 2024 elections… the world’s most expensive election till now, the expenditure is doubling as compared to 2019, the figures will blow your senses.
The bench took note of the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel that there is a need to determine the carrying capacity as soon as possible to protect the pilgrimage sites from environmental damage. The Board’s counsel’s reply noted that the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, had agreed to “study the carrying capacity of the pilgrims’ horses” and said it would require one and a half years.
The tribunal said, “We are of the view that the period of one and a half years to conduct the carrying capacity study, especially six months to write the report, is unreasonably long. Therefore, every possible effort should be made to complete the study and prepare the report within a year,” it said, adding that “ad-hoc affordability” would be given to the concerned authorities within a month based on “materials already available”. Will have to be decided and action taken report will have to be filed. The case has been posted till July 31 for further proceedings.
,
Tags: Badrinath Dham, Kedarnath Dham, NGT, Uttrakhand, Uttarakhand news
FIRST PUBLISHED: April 25, 2024, 21:05 IST