Pollution board issues notices to Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat over violations
The notices were issued in compliance with an order issued by the National Green Tribunal
Dehradun, Apr 26 (PTI) The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) has issued show-cause notices to the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat and the public works department for alleged violations of environmental norms at the famed Himalayan temple.
The notices were issued in compliance with an order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), after a joint team of officials from different departments, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), inspected the solid-waste management and sewage-disposal mechanism in Kedarnath and found serious faults with it, the UKPCB said.
During a visit by the team, it was found that the solid waste collected from bins was segregated and collected in a small pit, which was not constructed in a technically-correct manner with no cement flooring. There was also no facility for leachate collection, UKPCB Member Secretary Parag Madhukar Dhakate said in the notice to the executive officer of the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat.
The team also found out that untreated sewage was being discharged into the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers, he said.
The team observed that a 600-KLD sewage treatment plant (STP) is under construction at Kedarnath and currently, sewage from the nagar panchayat and the rest of the revenue village is managed via soak pits.
At some places, the toilet soak pits were overfilled and in need of regular cleaning, the team saw.
The original timeline for the completion of the work of the STP was December 2024, which has now been extended to May 2025, Noida-based RTI activist Amit Gupta, whose complaint was the basis for the action, said.
The authorities concerned have been asked to ensure that no untreated sewage goes to the rivers.
The notices also say the capacity of the under-construction STP should be enhanced, considering the growing rush of pilgrims to Kedarnath every year at the peak of the Char Dham Yatra.
The notices say the Kedarnath Nagar Panchayat EO and executive engineer of the PWD in Guptkashi will have to bear the environment compensation and face other legal consequences if they do not comply with the instructions.
The Char Dham Yatra is scheduled to begin on April 30 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamuntri temples in Uttarkashi.
The Kedarnath temple will be opened for devotees on May 2. PTI
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