The Allahabad High Court has disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the alleged mismanagement of waste at several ghats in Prayagraj following the Mahakumbh, directing the petitioners to seek remedy before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
A division bench comprising Justice Jayant Banerji and Justice Madan Pal Singh held that the NGT holds exclusive jurisdiction under Section 14 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, to address environmental grievances in a “speedy and efficacious” manner. “We deem it fit to dispose of this petition, leaving it open to the petitioners to approach the Tribunal for redressal of the grievances,” the court stated in its June 27 order.
The PIL was filed by Anshika Pandey and seven other law interns, who flagged concerns over “improper” waste disposal at major ghats, including Triveni Ghat (Jhunsi), Sangam Ghat, and Balua Ghat. With the onset of the monsoon, they argued, the unattended garbage, plastic waste, and stagnant untreated water posed serious risks to public health and hygiene.
The petitioners claimed that at Triveni and Sangam Ghats, garbage was left unsegregated and plastic waste was unattended, while stagnant water had led to foul odour and insect infestation. At Balua Ghat, they noted the absence of designated waste collection areas, resulting in scattered and unmanaged waste.
Kartikeya Saran, appearing on behalf of the Kumbh Mela Authority, raised a preliminary objection, asserting that the matter falls squarely under the jurisdiction of the NGT, providing the petitioners with an effective alternative legal remedy.
Accepting the objection, the bench ruled that the petition was not maintainable before the High Court in light of the statutory remedy available under the NGT Act.
