Times of India article about bridge halt

HC bans construction of bridge at Vrindavan

Saving Panchkosi Parikrama Marg

TIMES NEWS NETWORK (Jan. 25, 2010, Print Edition, page 4)

Allahabad: The Allahabad high court on Saturday stopped construction of a bridge alongside river Yamuna at Vrindavan as it was found to be in violation of the Indian Archaeological Act and the environment (protection) Act.

The court also banned all illegal construction on the land between the ghats and the river and dumping of garbage in the area in the Vrindavan-Mathura stretch.

The order to the effect was passed by a division Bench of Justice VM Sahai and Justice VK Dixit. As the entire area comes under the Taj Trapezium Zone, prima facie, the Bench said, the construction work alongside the river without Supreme Court's permission was a serious matter.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) moved by Madhu Mangal Shukla, the Bench not only stayed construction of the bridge and other illegal constructions, but also banned dumping of garbage in the Yamuna and on its banks.

The court directed the departments concerned, including the Pollution Control Board and the Central environment department, to ensure that no further construction was done in the Vrindavan area.

The court also asked the Central and State government authorities to file a detailed reply in the court by February 23.

The petitioner had maintained in the public interest litigation that Vrindavan has religious importance. The "Panchkosi Parikrama Marg" passes alongside the river and through the ghats. Many pilgrims undertood the "parikrama" barefooted and a few pilgrims even crawled all the way to offer prayers to Lord Krishna.

The petitioner claimed that a few persons, in collusion with the authorities, had encroached upon Yamuna's bank by raising constructions, houses, ashrams, hotels, etc., between the ghats and the river along the Parikrama route in the flood plain area of the river.

The PIL also contended that the construction work of the bridge was against the rules of the Indian Archaeological Act and the same was earlier stopped by the then Mathura district magistrate.

However, the construction work has restarted without obtaining the necessary permission from the departments concerned, the PIL said.

The contention was that to permit construction alongside the river amounts to breach of the statutory provision of the Environment (Protection) Act, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.

---

Jai Radhe Shyam !!