Submit regulatory regime report before July 30: NGT tells state

New Delhi, July 22

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) has directed the Uttarakhand government to submit within a week its final report on implementation of the regulatory regime for camping activity in the Kaudiyala to Rishikesh belt on the banks of the Ganga in the state.

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Harish Rawat government to file the report before July 30 after various camping site operators submitted that there had been “undue” delay in the disposal of the matter.

The counsel appearing for the site operators told the NGT that delay in implementation of the regulatory regime was adversely affecting their activities, as “they have been stopped from conducting any activity till the final assertion of the requisite terms and conditions”.

The advocate appearing for Uttarakhand submits that there has been a definite progress and the report is being finalised. The final meeting is fixed for July 25 and immediately thereafter the report will be filed before the Tribunal.

“In the interest of justice and by way of the final opportunity, we permit the state of Uttarakhand to place on record the report within a week without default and delay,” the Bench said. The matter is now listed for next hearing on August 3.

The tribunal had earlier warned the Uttarakhand government that it would call its Chief Secretary to explain the delay in implementing the regulatory regime for camping activities.

The Bench had on December 10 last year banned camping activity there till the regulatory regime comes into force but had permitted rafting with immediate effect.

The NGT was hearing the plea of NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) against “unregulated” operation of rafting camps in Rishikesh and other areas on the banks of the Ganga.

The panel had constituted a committee of officials from various departments of the Central and Uttarakhand governments to prepare a regulatory regime on this issue. — PTI