Green Court formed a nine-member committee to suggest remedial measures for preventing environmental damage to the historic Mussoorie town
New Delhi: Taking suo-motu cognisance of a media report that has warned of a Joshimath-like situation in Mussoorie town, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directions to the Uttarakhand Government to conduct a study of the specific carrying capacity of the hill station.
The Bench of Chairperson Justice A.K. Goel, Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal, and Expert Members A. Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad has also formed a nine-member committee to suggest remedial measures for preventing environmental damage to the Mussoorie town.
The NGT observed that unplanned construction beyond carrying capacity is “a warning for Mussoorie” and “its subsurface material is being displaced due to large-scale construction activities.”
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The Bench also observed that the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority has failed to take remedial steps suggested by the study on Mussoorie’s carrying capacity by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in 2001. The study has observed that the ‘no further construction viable’ in Mussoorie town.
With reports in hand, the green court found it necessary to conduct a detailed study of the carrying capacity of eco-sensitive areas in Himalayan regions in a holistic manner and formed a nine-member committee to suggest remedial measures for preventing environmental damage to the historic Mussoorie town.
The committee will be headed by the Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand. Whereas, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dehradun, Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Kumaon University, Nainital, Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Bengaluru would be members in the committee.
The Additional Chief Secretary-Environment, Uttarakhand will act as the nodal authority for coordination and compliance.
“The committee may suggest remedial measures to prevent environmental damage in the light of carrying capacity, hydro-geology studies, geo-morphological studies, and also covering other allied and incidental issues,” the court further said.
The Committee is directed to present the study report by 30 April and fixed the next hearing on May 16.
