Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding unscientific management of the horses plying in Kufri, Himachal Pradesh, 13/02/2025
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Shailendra Kumar Yadav Vs State of Himachal Pradesh dated 13/02/2025.
In the original application, applicant has raised the issue of unscientific management of the horses plying in Kufri and regulation of the tourist activities and consequential damage to the natural vegetation, local ecology and environment.
The Tribunal by order dated November 5, 2024 had taken note of the suggestions of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) and also considered the letter dated February 8, 2024 recording the willingness of three horse unions to reduce the number of horses from 1029 to 700 and also inaction in the regard. The tribunal had considered the report of DFO, Theog, November 1, 2024 and had found that the report did not disclose the extent of garbage which is piled up at different places and to be remediated and the survival of plantation for deforestation.
Subsequently, the report dated February 10, 2025 has been filed by the DFO, Theog mentioning the action taken by the Forest Department to remediate/manage the horse dung problem at Kufri. The report informed the court that two options are available to dispose of the horse dung generated in the Kufri track.
Counsel appearing for the state has submitted that out of the two options, firstly composting the horse dung and secondly disposal by briquetting the horse dung, it has been found that the first option of composting is cheaper and is acceptable. The court pointed out that no detailed plan for composting has been placed on record which would take into account the total quantity of generation of horse dung, its collection point, feasibility of its transportation to the pits where composting is to be done, the manner of transportation and the transportation cost, the availability of land for composting pit, the design of composting pit and also the time which will be taken for composting and the extent and number of composting pits which are required considering the horse dung generated per day and the number of days which will be taken for compositing and also the manner of disposal of compost, the entities who will be using/buying the compost, their requirement and if the entire compost will be utilised and the overall fixed as well as the working cost of the project. It has been candidly admitted that no cost analysis has been done.
Therefore, the NGT said that the cheaper option cannot be ascertained unless the cost analysis is done and detailed plans for both the options are examined, by taking into account not only the short term cost, but the cost benefit analysis in the long run.
The DFO, Theog has submitted that a cost benefit analysis will be done and a detailed plan would be placed before the tribunal. In the next report, the DFO, Theog would clearly disclose the carrying capacity of Kufri in reference to the horses and tourists.