Private companies booked in Himachal Pradesh for polluting Gobind Sagar Lake | Chandigarh News
Five FIRs have been lodged against three private companies engaged by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the construction of the Kiratpur-Nerchowk four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh. These companies were charged with polluting the Gobind Sagar Lake by dumping muck and soil on forest land, which subsequently washed into the lake during the monsoon season.
The companies identified are Kail Sons Engineers Associate, Total Logistics, and Highway Engineer. They have been booked under Sections 15 and 16 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and Section 277 (fouling the water of a reservoir) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIRs were registered on September 21 at the Swarghat police station in Bilaspur district. Sections 15 and 16 of the Environment Protection Act pertain to penalties for violating environmental regulations.
A police officer said, “The FIRs were lodged following complaints from two forest department officers, who alleged that the companies hired by the NHAI had irresponsibly dumped muck and waste material on forest land. During the rains, the waste entered Gobind Sagar Lake. These companies have been involved in highway construction since 2012, and the matter regarding pollution of Gobind Sagar Lake is also pending before the Shimla High Court.”
The police officer added that forest officers Ram Parkash and Neelam Kumari were among those who filed the complaints. According to Kumari, the highway construction has been ongoing since 2012, and a private company excavated land along the road, irresponsibly dumping the soil on Forest department land near a toll barrier. During the rainy season, the soil washed into the Gara stream, leading to environmental and water pollution.
The Swarghat forest officer issued a letter directing the police to file a complaint, which led to the registration of the FIRs. Forest officer Parkash also lodged a complaint at Swarghat police station, reporting similar issues. He noted that since 2012, during construction near Jabbar, a company excavated land and improperly dumped soil on forest land, which washed into Gobind Sagar Lake, causing pollution.
In another instance, in Mahla, a private company dumped excavated soil on forest land adjacent to the construction area, which washed into the Gobind Sagar Lake during rains, further contributing to pollution. Similarly, in Daddnal, a third company followed the same practice, and the soil ended up in the lake.
In May, the division bench of former Chief Justice Ramachandra Rao and Justice Satyen Vaidya directed authorities to initiate penal action against those responsible for illegally dumping muck into Gobind Sagar Lake, its tributaries, and forest or public lands.
The Gobind Sagar Lake, situated in the Una and Bilaspur districts of Himachal Pradesh, is a reservoir formed by the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej River. It is named in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
