The Uttarakhand High Court has issued a directive to halt all illegal constructions in Dehradun and Rishikesh, calling upon Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey to provide explanations regarding the compounding of unauthorized constructions by the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA). The court has scheduled a video conferencing session on May 5, during which Commissioner Pandey is expected to clarify the actions taken by MDDA in these matters.
This order was issued by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Pankaj Agarwal, a resident of Rishikesh, among others. The petitioners raised concerns about numerous constructions in the two towns that deviate from approved plans and potentially harm the environment.
The petition highlighted that while MDDA has taken steps to seal these illegal structures, there have been instances where the MDDA’s assistant engineer later removed the seals and compounded the constructions, essentially regularizing what were initially unauthorized builds. This practice has led to questions about the consistency and legality of MDDA’s enforcement actions.
The High Court’s intervention seeks to address the broader implications of these alleged irregularities, particularly their impact on urban planning and environmental conservation in the rapidly growing regions of Dehradun and Rishikesh. By summoning the Garhwal Commissioner, the court aims to get to the bottom of these issues and ensure that regulatory measures are properly enforced to prevent further illegal development.
