Camping activity at Rishikesh: NGT pulls up Uttarakhand govt

The National Green Tribunal today warned the Uttarakhand government that it would call its Chief Secretary to explain the delay in implementing regulatory regime for camping activity in the entire belt of Kaudiyala to Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganga.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Swatanter Kumar told the counsel appearing for the state that people associated with camping activity in the area were suffering due to this.
"These people are suffering. You (state government) do propaganda that NGT has stopped it but what you are doing? You look what you have done. Are you not serious about revenue," the bench asked.

The green panel directed the counsel to inform it about the entire policy for camping and rafting activity there.
"We make it clear that if the counsel (for the state) has no clear instructions then Chief Secretary will be called," the bench said and posted the matter for May 10.
The bench was hearing arguments in the matter in which it had on December 10 last year banned the camping activity there till the regulatory regime comes into force but had permitted rafting with immediate effect.

During the hearing today, the advocate appearing for the camping associations told the bench that guidelines have not been implemented by the state government.

"Rafting is an integral part of camping activity. It is this sport which has brought Uttarakhand on tourist map. The regulatory policy has not been implemented," the lawyer said.
The counsel further claimed, "This is a conspiracy. There is a strong lobby of hoteliers there and they are benefitted. They (government) are delaying the policy."
The counsel appearing for the state requested for more time to seek instructions on these issues.
The NGT was hearing the plea of NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) against "unregulated" operation of rafting camps in Rishikesh and other areas on the banks of Ganga.

The panel had earlier constituted a committee of officials from various departments of central and Uttarakhand governments to prepare a regulatory regime on this issue.
The NGO, in its plea, had alleged that rafting camps were not only in violation of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 but also the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 as well as the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as they led to pollution of Ganga by discharging effluent, throwing of solid waste directly and adversely affecting the ecological integrity of the river system.