HC questions state over river mgmt measures for monsoon

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court has directed the state govt to reply within a fortnight to a petition on the state’s alleged failure in channelising Nandhaur and other rivers, the absence of flood relief efforts and the inability to clear debris from rivers in view of the ongoing monsoon.
The public interest litigation (PIL) was heard by a bench of Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal on Tuesday.The petitioner contended that the state govt was yet to furnish its affidavit, notwithstanding prior directives. He said the initial monsoon downpours have triggered erosion in the Nandhaur River, potentially resulting in inundation of inhabited regions.
The court was presented with photographs depicting the erosion, prompting it to instruct the state govt to provide an update on the situation. The plea, filed by social activist Bhuvan Chandra Pokhriyal, highlighted the absence of channelisation of rivers such as Nandhaur, Gaula, Kosi, Ganga, and Dabka which resulted in waterlogging and erosion in populated areas and underscored the “govt’s non-adherence” to previous orders.