NGT raps Uttarakhand for delay on illegal stone crusher in Shivalik corridor

DEhradun: The subject william green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up Uttarakhand authorities for delayed response o'er the alleged illegal performance of a lapidate crusher inside the Shivalik Elephant Corridor and within the active floodplain of the Song River in Dehradun.The issue arose during the hearing of an application filed by Dehradun resident Parmjeet Singh through advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal.The petition highlighted ecological violations, stating that the crusher is operating inside an elephant movement corridor and in a flood-sensitive zone of the Song River, a tributary of the Ganga.The petitioner argued that such activity narrows wildlife pathways and destabilises the natural habitat.The Shivalik Elephant Reserve is spread over 5,405 sq km in eight districts along the southern side of the state. The corridor connects the western Rajaji Tiger Reserve with the eastern part of the reserve across the Ganga.During the proceedings on November 20, the Tribunal referred to earlier submissions, including concerns that the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) had allegedly overlooked the ecological impact on elephant corridors while issuing environmental clearances.The applicant also flagged the risk posed by the crusher’s location in an active flood zone.The Tribunal expressed dissatisfaction with the State’s response, noting that when the matter came up for final hearing, the counsel for the Uttarakhand government sought additional time, saying the Irrigation Department still needed to respond.The bench said it “failed to understand” the State’s position at such an advanced stage of the hearing.Granting the State four weeks to file a proper response, the NGT imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on the Uttarakhand government, to be deposited with the NGT Bar Association for library and infrastructure development.The Tribunal also directed the Member Secretary of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to file a personal affidavit within three weeks, specifically addressing whether the Board considers elephant corridors and wildlife impacts when issuing environmental clearances, and to respond to the allegation that the crusher has been set up in an active flood zone.Advocate Bansal said, “During the proceedings, the Tribunal referred to the detailed report submitted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which unequivocally confirmed that the stone crusher is operating within the notified Shivalik Elephant Reserve and lies in the active flood zone of the Song River, a tributary of the Ganga.”“The WII report further revealed that the Song River and its floodplain serve as vital riverine and river-scrub habitats, functioning as critical dispersal routes and wildlife movement corridors for large mammals such as elephants, tigers and leopards. It also noted that the presence of the stone crusher has narrowed the ecological corridor, severely compromising its functionality for wildlife movement,” he said.“During the hearing, the Uttarakhand government counsel failed to assist the Tribunal and sought additional time, prompting the NGT to express strong displeasure at the State’s delay tactics. Consequently, the Tribunal imposed a cost of ₹50,000 on the State of Uttarakhand,” Bansal added.Bansal said he argued that permitting such an industrial unit in an ecologically fragile zone poses a serious threat to elephants and other wildlife and reflects poorly on environmental governance in the State.The case will be heard next on February 5, 2026, he said.In March this year, the Uttarakhand high court directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the State forest department to consult the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, to devise ways to save the maximum number of trees in the Shivalik Elephant Reserve by transplanting them to nearby forest areas where the road project is proposed. There is a proposal to fell 3,300 trees in the reserve for the proposed widening of a four-lane road between Bhaniyawala in Dehradun and Rishikesh. The HC issued the directions while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Dehradun-based Reenu Paul.The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had urged the HC to direct the State government to quash the proposed felling of over 3,300 trees in the Shivalik Elephant Reserve for the road-widening project connecting Bhaniyawala in Dehradun to Rishikesh, being carried out in a critical elephant habitat identified by the Wildlife Trust of India.In January 2021, in response to Paul’s petition, the HC had stayed the approval given by the State Wildlife Advisory Board (on November 24, 2020) for the de-notification of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve. The decision had been taken to pave the way for expansion of the Dehradun airport project. When the decision was taken on November 24, 2020, Harak Singh Rawat, the then state forest minister, had said, “The state wildlife board during its 16th meeting approved the de-notification of Shivalik Elephant Reserve as there is no law to define an elephant reserve. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the state government had sent a proposal to the Centre seeking clarification regarding the said area, after which it was notified as an elephant reserve in 2002. But as per the norms of the Central government, there is no law or Act yet under which the legal status of an elephant reserve is defined.”Uttarakhand has over 2,000 elephants at present, according to the last elephant census. There are 2,026 elephants in the state currently, compared to 1,559 in 2012 and 1,839 in 2017.