The Supreme Court granted the Bihar government 12 weeks to clear unauthorized structures along the Ganga riverbanks in Patna, citing flood conditions preventing immediate action. The matter concerns encroachments between Nauzar ghat and Nurpur ghat.
Separately, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued notices regarding the encroachment and pollution of the Sikandra Distributary and Maghati Minor of the Agra Canal System in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. The applicant cited historical documents and satellite imagery to show the protected forest area has disappeared and become polluted. The NGT has summoned responses from local authorities and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
In another development, the Punjab Pollution Control Board informed the NGT about desilting efforts for rivers in Punjab following 2025 floods. The state identified 85 sites for desilting and allowed landowners at nine critical sites to undertake the work at their own cost, utilizing excavated material. The NGT previously directed authorities to comply with national frameworks and environmental norms for such operations, warning against unregulated activities potentially causing irreversible environmental degradation.
Source: Down To Earth