Supreme Court Orders Halt to Construction Adjacent to Ganga, Seeks Removal of Illegal Structures in Patna

Patna: The Supreme Court has issued a directive to the Bihar government, instructing it to put an immediate halt to any further construction along the Ganga River, particularly in and around Patna. A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Augustine George Masih instructed the state government to submit an affidavit detailing the removal of identified illegal structures erected on the floodplains of the Ganga River in the Patna region.

During the court hearing, the bench noted, “When the matter is called on for hearing, counsel for the state of Bihar submits that the state has identified 213 unauthorized constructions adjacent to the river Ganga in and around Patna, and steps have been taken to remove these encroachments/constructions.”

The bench further directed that on the specified date, the state should report to the court the progress made in removing these unauthorized structures, with the affidavit to be filed by the Chief Secretary of Bihar. Additionally, the state has been mandated to ensure that no further construction occurs along the Ganga River, particularly in and around the city of Patna.

The Supreme Court’s intervention follows a plea filed by Patna resident Ashok Kumar Sinha, challenging the National Green Tribunal’s June 30, 2020, order that dismissed his petition against illegal constructions and permanent encroachments on the eco-fragile floodplains.

The petitioner contended that the tribunal’s order was issued without a thorough examination of detailed particulars regarding violators encroaching upon the Ganga floodplains in Patna, as submitted by the appellant.

“The illegal and unauthorized constructions and permanent encroachments on the floodplain of Ganga are creating tremendous amounts of waste, noise, and generating vast quantities of sewage,” emphasized the plea filed through advocate Akash Vashishtha. “They are aggravating the risk to life and property of the dwellers occupying the surroundings since every year, the areas stated in preceding paras go down under floodwaters. The illegal constructions were obstructing the natural course of the river.”

The plea highlighted the deleterious environmental impacts on rich biodiversity and the destruction of habitats critical for the survival of Dolphins, a Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, in the affected stretch.