Why river Ganga was served a notice by the High Court

The Uttarakhand High Court had earlier this year accorded the status of "living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to help in their "preservation and conservation"

River Ganga has been served a legal notice. The River Ganga was accorded human status recently and the notice was served seeking an explanation as to why its land was given for construction of a trenching ground. A division bench of the Uttarakhand High Court issued the notice on a petition filed by Swaroop Singh a resident of Rishikesh.

In the petition it was alleged that a trenching ground is being constructed in village Khadri Khadag close to the banks of the holy river in gross violation of law.

It was further claimed that the gram panchayat concerned allotted the land to the local civic body without consulting the villagers several years ago.

While Issuing notice to Ganga, the court has sought a response from the Union government, central pollution control board, state pollution control board and the Rishikesh municipality. The notices are returnable by May 8.

Officials made custodians of the Ganga when it was granted human status by the high court, including the chief secretary, the advocate general and the director of Namami Gange project will respond to the legal notice on behalf of the river.

The Uttarakhand High Court had earlier this year accorded the status of "living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to help in their "preservation and conservation". Bestowing human status on the sacred but highly polluted rivers would, according to the court's order, amount to harming a human being.

OneIndia News