Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding carrying capacity of pilgrimage centres in Uttarakhand, 05/01/2024
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Urvashi Shobhna Kachari Vs Union of India & Others dated 05/01/2024.
The execution application has been filed seeking execution of order of the Tribunal dated February 8, 2023 passed in OA No. 561/2022. In that OA, grievance was raised in respect of large-scale unregulated violation of environmental norms along the pilgrim tracks of Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, Yamunotri and Gomukh pilgrimage centres in Uttarakhand.
On the direction of the tribunal, the joint committee had submitted the report which was duly considered by the court in the order under execution. In the concluding remark, one of the recommendations of the joint committee was relating to calculation of carrying capacity.
Reports filed by the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) and Secretary, Forest do not contain information with reference to the carrying capacity, the NGT noted. Counsel appearing for UEPPCB admitted that till now no carrying capacity study has been carried out. He submits that the carrying capacity study will now be carried out within a period of two months and a report disclosing the carrying capacity of all the concerned areas under consideration will be filed within a period of two months before the tribunal.
The matter has been listed for March 6, 2024.