NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Central Government to respond to a petition that challenges recent changes to the rules meant to protect the Ganga River.
Among those being questioned are the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
In a notification issued by Ministry of Jalshakti on August 7, the government defined 'Active Flood Plains' for the Ganga River and its tributaries to address the threats of encroachment and pollution in these areas.
According to the new definition, 'Active Flood Plains' are designated as areas that experience flooding at least once every five years.
The notification states, “Active flood plain means an area of the River Ganga or its tributaries that comes under water due to floods corresponding to a one-in-five-year return period."
The tribunal was looking into a complaint that a government notification removed important regulations that prevented construction near the river and its tributaries, which could be harmful to the environment.
The petition claims that this new notification goes against the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 and undermines the original plan for safeguarding the river.
During the hearing, NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and member Afroz Ahmad noted that the petitioner, Amit Kumar, argued that the recent changes improperly altered definitions related to the river's flood zones. Specifically, the claim was that the updated rules now allow construction closer to the river than previously permitted, where it was ruled that no construction should take place within 100 to 200 meters from the riverbanks.
The NGT highlighted that there have been past court rulings emphasizing the protection of the river that are being ignored by the new notification. The tribunal has instructed that notices be sent to the involved parties and scheduled further discussions on this matter for October 27.