NGT gives 15 days to UP govt to decide shrine board for temples in Govardhan

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to enact legislation to constitute a shrine board for three temples in the pilgrimage town of Govardhan in Mathura district and get it approved within 15 days. The green panel directed the state government to take up the bill in the next session and get it approved within the time frame stipulated by it.

The direction came after Additional Chief Secretary of the state, A K Awasthi, told a bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore that a draft for the shrine board has been prepared and processed through inter-department consultation and now it has been to place before the Cabinet. The official told the NGT that some information with regard to the assets of three temples -- Jatipura, Dhanghati and Mansi Ganga -- is awaited from two receivers, who manage the temple.

Taking note of the submission, the tribunal ordered the receivers to send the required information to the Additional Chief Secretary within a week in view of the urgency of the matter. The secretary also told the NGT that construction of the entire ring road stretching 10.4 km would be completed by October 31.

The tribunal warned that "in case the ring road is not completed by the said date then, concerning officer shall be made accountable and appropriate order will be passed against him". Noting the lack of sufficient traffic police, the green panel directed the state government to take up the matter urgently and provide the requisite force.

It also directed the SDM and other authorities concerned to ensure that no construction is raised in the area where it is prohibited. The tribunal directed the NGO Muskan Jyoti Samiti to ensure collection, segregation and dumping of municipal solid waste as per the rules.

"Mathura District Magistrate is directed to seek periodical reports and in case, any deficiency on the part of NGO is found in doing the needful, he shall immediately issue appropriate orders for collection/disposal of municipal solid waste," it said. The tribunal directed the DM and Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority not to allow any private parking and said that the police should ensure that no such parking are in existence.

"The district administration of Bharatpur, Rajasthan, shall also ensure that adequate parking is made available at Poochari Ka Lotha to cater to the vehicular traffic coming from Rajasthan," it said. The Central and State Ground Water Board shall file status of groundwater reserve and its quality and they should also take steps to protect the groundwater, its recharge, the NGT said.

"We direct Food and Civil Supplies Department of Uttar Pradesh to test the quality of the milk, at various places including Danghati, Mansi Ganga, Jatipura being used for worship. The test report should be submitted to the tribunal by February 28, 2019. The samples for testing shall also be taken on the day of Purnima," the NGT said. It also directed the Central Pollution Control Board and state pollution control board to jointly monitor the water quality of all the "kunds" and submit the report by February 28.

"UP and Rajasthan governments are directed to place hoarding etc for awareness of the public regarding matters like municipal solid waste, vehicle parking etc," it said. The tribunal had earlier rapped state authorities over their failure to remove encroachments from forest land in Govardhan noting that the forest department has removed only four to five encroachments out of the total 33.

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 ponds and other water bodies in Govardhan.

(With inputs from agencies.)