The Supreme Court has told a petitioner to move the National Green Tribunal over his allegation of an environmental threat from a proposed bridge over the Hindon river in Ghaziabad, a lawyer said Monday. The plea may come up before the tribunal Feb 14.
Vikrant Sharma withdrew the petition, filed on behalf of the Rashtriya Jal Biradari, following the court’s suggestion.
The petitioner is opposing the construction of the proposed Karhera bridge, the third over the Hindon, near a point where the river takes a curve.
The petition allege that the proposal to build the bridge on an artificial embankment would stop the natural flow of river water and cause a flood in addition to environmental loss.
Sharma’s counsel said he withdrew the petition after the court said that “the liberty is granted to the petitioners to move to the National Green Tribunal”.
“We are happy that the apex court accepted our plea and opined that we could move before the National Green Tribunal. The tribunal would hear the case on Feb 14,” counsel said.
The petition said an Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi professor also opposed the construction of the bridge at the proposed point.
The IIT expert said that if the government was adamant on building the bridge then it should build the structure on pillars, instead of on the artificial embankment, leaving the river free to choose its own course.
