The Uttarakhand High Court heard multiple Public Interest Litigations (PILs) concerning encroachments on various rivers and drains in Dehradun. During the hearing, Principal Secretary Forest R.K. Sudhanshu, Principal Secretary Irrigation Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Secretary Urban Development Nitish Kumar Jha, and Revenue Secretary S.N. Pandey appeared virtually before the court.
They submitted affidavits stating that the encroachments on the Bindal River would be removed by June 30. The court ordered an immediate halt to unauthorized construction on river and drain lands in Dehradun that lack approved maps. It also directed the state government to submit a detailed report by April 21 regarding the demolition drive carried out by the administration in Vikasnagar, Dehradun.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 21.
For context, Sharma, Renu Pal, and Urmila Thapar had filed separate PILs in the High Court claiming massive construction on waterlogged land in Sahastradhara, leading to drying of water sources and posing an environmental threat. Another petition alleged extensive encroachments and illegal constructions on drains and slopes in Rishikesh. The third PIL highlighted encroachments on approximately 100 acres in Dehradun, 140 acres in Vikasnagar, 15 acres in Rishikesh, and 15 acres in Doiwala, all on river lands.
