Submit action plan on service road around Parikrama Marg at Govardhan: NGT to UP govt

The National Green Tribunal Friday directed the UP government to submit complete action plan on construction of a service road around Parikrama Marg at Govardhan, Mathura district, for the pilgrims. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said there was an urgent need of service roads in the temple town to ease the vehicular traffic.

"Many a times, orders had been issued and verbally made clear to the respondent - State with regard to completion of work of ring road and service roads. Non-availability of the same is creating chaos and mismanagement because the persons from native villages have to move up and down daily which creates obstruction and difficulty to the pilgrims in Parikrama. "According to us, this issue ought to have been taken up on priority but we have been informed that they have reached the stage of approval in principle only and the work would start as and when the funds would be made available. We need not make any comment on this because it is very apparent from the statement made by the counsel for UP that no steps have yet been taken for construction of the service road and it is not clear as to when the same would be started," the bench said.

It sought action plan along with timeline and the stage which has been reached by the PWD department in respect of funding of the project by the state government. "Complete information in this regard, by way of personal affidavit be filed by Chief Engineer, PWD, State of Uttar Pradesh and he shall remain present on the next date of hearing," the NGT said.

With regard to removal of tiles on the Kacchi Parikrama Marg, the bench granted last opportunity to the Bharatpur Collector to comply with its order subject to a cost of Rs 10,000 which shall be deposited with NGT Bar Association within a week. The tribunal had earlier directed the UP pollution control board to ensure prevention of water pollution in Mansi Ganga Kund in Govardhan town and check that no sewage is discharged in the water body.

The tribunal had said the Board shall exercise its powers under the Provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act, 1974 by taking action against those who are discharging sewerage or otherwise polluting water of the 'Kund'. According to a legend when Krishna protected the inhabitants of Vraj Vridavan from the wrath of Indra, he advised them to worship Govardhana hill and they did by way of a puja (worship) and a parikrama (circumambulation) around the hill.

Govardhana Hill has a 'Parikrama' of about 23 km and can take five to six hours to complete. The NGT had earlier said that plying of e-rickshaws in Govardhan without registration is illegal and issued a slew of directions for their regulation in the temple town of Mathura.

The green panel had noted that presently there are 298 battery-operated rickshaws registered in the town of Govardhan and a maximum of 400 can ply in the city. "Each rickshaw should be allowed to take four persons only and the fare be fixed at Rs 100 per person. Battery rickshaws should display the permission certificate of the Nagar Panchayat. The rickshaws are to be plied only on the left side of Parikrama Marg. In the entire Parikrama Marg, there would be nine parking places and the rickshaws would be allotted an area," the bench had said.

E-rickshaws should use the space only for parking, and plying of non-registered e-rickshaws in Parikrama Marg would be prohibited, the tribunal had said, adding the transport and police department should take appropriate action against non-registered rickshaws. 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.

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