The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to notify in the Gazette its order declaring the entire 'Parikrama Marg' in the pilgrimage town of Govardhan in Mathura district as no construction zone.
A vacation bench of Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore took exception that despite its August 4, 2015 order to stop illegal constructions, the Forest department has found 211 cases of encroachments on forest land in Govardhan.
The green panel also directed the authorities to take immediate steps for removal of debris resulting from demolishing of encroachments, as per the recommendations of the committee formed by it.
It ordered the state government and and the local administration to keep strict round the clock vigilance over the places where encroachments have been removed and if any case of reconstruction is found, it be demolished and action be taken against the violators.
"Such a drive should be started by deputing regular vigilance squads and not to wait for receipt of any complaint in that regard from a member of public," the NGT said.
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The tribunal said that it was revealed from the history of the proceedings that the state government has been seeking time on one pretext or the other.
"The compliance of the order dated August 4, 2015 is yet to see the light of the day, in the sense that it is still at preparatory stage, much less to say, steps have been taken and there is no question of fully implementing any of the recommendations made by the committee.
"A perusal of the order sheets of these proceedings would go to show that different grounds have been taken and many excuses have been made, from time to time, for executing/ complying the recommendations, to which the State itself had agreed, so much so that an assurance was given that the recommendations shall be adhered to and executed in true letter and spirit, in the interest of environment," the bench said.
The green body appointed a court commissioner for taking effective and expeditious steps for compliance of its order and asked him to inspect the site.
It also asked retired IPS officer Anand V Shukla to visit Govardhan Parvat and Parikrama marg by July 20 and give his views on the work done in furtherance of the recommendations made by the Committee and submit a report to the tribunal before July 31, the next date of hearing.
The NGT had earlier rapped the Uttar Pradesh government and Mathura district authorities for not complying with its order on construction and felling of trees. It had declared the entire "Parikrama Marg" as no-construction zone to avoid any encroachment and asked the civic bodies to construct a sewerage system along the holy area.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Mathura-based Giriraj Parikrama Sanrakshan Sansthan and others seeking compliance of the NGT's August 4, 2015 directions.
The organisation had raised the issue of civic authorities discharging sewage and municipal waste into the ponds and other water bodies in Govardhan.
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