SC raps Centre, Bihar over illegal Ganga encroachments, demands report

The top court also asked for the total number of illegal structures currently present and how and when the authorities plan to clear them

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and Bihar governments to submit detailed reports on steps taken to remove illegal construction and encroachments along the banks of the river Ganga.

 

According to a report by the news agency PTI, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K V Vishwanathan said, “We would like to know what steps have been taken by the authorities to remove all such encroachments over the banks of river Ganga.”

 

The court also asked for the total number of illegal structures currently present and how and when the authorities plan to remove them.

 

In its order dated April 2, the bench said, “We direct both the state of Bihar and the Union of India to file an appropriate report so that we can proceed further in the matter.”

 

The court was hearing a petition by Patna resident Ashok Kumar Sinha. He had challenged a June 30, 2020 decision by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that dismissed his complaint against illegal buildings and permanent encroachments on the floodplains of the Ganga.

 

His lawyer, Akash Vashishtha, told the court that illegal housing settlements, brick kilns, and religious structures were being built on the eco-sensitive floodplains. He said, “There are large scale encroachments all over the banks which require immediate attention,” and added that some parts of the riverbanks are home to freshwater dolphins.

 

The petition also claimed that the NGT passed its order without properly checking the details of the people violating the rules.

 

The Supreme Court will hear the matter again after four weeks.

 

No progress in Ganga cleaning project

 

The Ganga cleaning drive, launched under the ‘Namami Gange’ programme in 2014, has faced repeated criticism over slow progress and ineffective implementation. Despite an allocation of over ₹20,000 crore by the Central government, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has been under fire for poor execution. 

 

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in a 2017 report, noted delays in project completion, under-utilisation of funds, and a lack of proper sewage infrastructure. 

 

According to the CAG, “only 20 per cent of the sewage treatment capacity had been created under the project” by that time. Environmentalists have argued that the focus remained more on infrastructure and symbolism than on reducing industrial waste and untreated sewage entering the river.

 

In recent years, citizens and activists have raised alarms about unchecked encroachments and illegal constructions along the Ganga’s floodplains, which threaten both the environment and aquatic life. 

 

According to a Down To Earth report from 2023, experts stated that “urban sewage and solid waste continue to flow into the river unchecked”, despite the project’s goals. 

 

[With inputs from PTI]