NGT issues notice to Centre against amendment on Ganga floodplains
The National Green Tribunal has issued a notice to the Indian government regarding an amendment that removes 'construction-free' status from parts of the Ganga floodplains. Environmentalists argue the change weakens protections by redefining flood zones based on shorter return periods.
Why it matters
The legal challenge highlights the ongoing tension between infrastructure development and environmental conservation in sensitive river ecosystems.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging a Jal Shakti Ministry amendment issued earlier this month that removed the “construction-free zone” tag on the Ganga’s floodplains and redefined what counts as a floodplain.
The petition, filed by environmentalist Amit Kumar, argues that the change alters the no-construction zone set out in the 2016 order and wrongly pegs the “active floodplain” to a one-in-five-year flood. The order had defined the floodplain largely by a once-in-100-year flood line. Mr. Kumar contended that the amendment runs counter to earlier rulings of the Tribunal and the High Courts, including a 2017 six-member Bench judgment that treated 100 metres from the river’s edge as a no-development zone on the Haridwar-to-Kanpur stretch.
The amendment in question is to the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in