Submit regulatory regime for camping before July 30: NGT to

The National Green Tribunal has directed Uttarakhand government to submit within a week its final report on implementing regulatory regime for camping activity in the entire belt of Kaudiyala to Rishikesh on the banks of the Ganga in the state.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Harish Rawat government to file the report before July 30 after various camping site operators submitted that there has been "undue" delay in the disposal of the matter.
The counsel appearing for site operators told the green panel that delay in implementing regulatory regime was adversely affecting their activities, as "they have been stopped from carrying on any activity till final assertion of the requisite terms and conditions".

"The counsel appearing for the State of Uttarakhand submits that there has been a definite progress and the report is under finalization. The final meeting is fixed on July 25, 2016, immediately thereafter the report will be filed before the Tribunal...
"In the interest of justice and by way of final opportunity we permit the State of Uttarakhand to place on record the report within one week without any default and delay," the bench said.
The matter is now listed for next hearing on August 3.

The tribunal had earlier warned the Uttarakhand government that it would call its Chief Secretary to explain the delay in implementing regulatory regime for camping activities.

The bench 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.
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 constituted a committee of officials from various departments of central and Uttarakhand governments to prepare a regulatory regime on this issue.