Vrinadavan riverfront project can proceed only after approval, directs NGT

AGRA: On January 21, 2019, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the UP government to remove all construction materials from the banks of river Yamuna in Vrindavan and discontinue the work.

A bench chaired by Justice Raghavendra S Rathore and S S Garibal ordered that the work done by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department (UPID) for the artificial riverfront project and underwater block project can start only after obtaining approval by TTZ officers and a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).

Under the Vrindavan Rejuvenation Project, the Uttar Pradesh Government proposed “expansion, renovation and beautification” work on three kilometres riverfront from Kesi Ghat in the downstream area of ​​Yamuna. The project, which proposes expansion of Kesi ghat by 750 metres into the river’s floodplain, also involves a mechanism to clean tributaries entering the river and construct interceptor drains to counter overflow of sewage into the river. 

The NGT gave the directions while hearing a plea filed by Akash Vashishtha, a nature enthusiast, who claimed that reclamation of the eco-sensitive Yamuna floodplain is being carried out in gross violation of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the provisions of the EIA Notification of 2006.