New Delhi: Restrictions on access to Rohtang Pass in Himachal Pradesh will continue as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Monday refused to stay the operation of its earlier direction limiting the entry of diesel and petrol tourist vehicles to 1,000 a day.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar refused to relax its May 5 order which had put a cap on number of vehicles daily passing through Rohtang Pass which links Kullu Valley to Lahaul and Spiti, to 1000 vehicles (600 petrol while 400 would be diesel).
The directions came while hearing a plea of Him-Aanchal Taxi Operators Union through senior advocate Vibha Dutt Makhija, after the Supreme Court refused to provide them relief while asking them to approach NGT for their grievances.
"What efforts your association has taken up except creating halla (hue and cry). State government has not moved an inch to restore the environment.
"Himachal Pradesh is one of the best states in our country. It has got tremendous tourism potential. The state government has ruined the situation. 18 hydro projects in one state, what will happen to the state. What will you do with the electricity produced if there is no environment.
"You cannot finish Rohtang like this. You cannot ruin nature. Can you restore the glacier which is reducing by one metre per year," the bench said.
The Tribunal directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Himachal government to sit together and work out a feasible solution to the problem.
It also asked the taxi operators to file suggestions for permitting greater number of taxis through Rohtang Pass in proportion to the number of tourists.
Expressing concern at the rapid pace of degradation of environment in Himachal, the bench said, "have you seen what has happened to Kufri. In Kufri we used to have skiing all the winters, but today there is hardly any ice visible there. This will what you will do to Rohtang, then you will build a nice government office there".
During the hearing, the counsel for Himachal Pradesh government said the state is worried about the environment and health of the people and it was complying with the NGT's directions.
The Himachal Pradesh government further told the Tribunal
that it has undertaken several steps for environment protection including complete polythene ban and removal of 150 local dhabas from Manali-Rohtang areas.
Earlier, the Tribunal had stayed its order to impose an environmental compensation of Rs 2,500 and Rs 1,000 on diesel and petrol-operated tourist vehicles, respectively, for Rohtang Pass. The tourist vehicles having capacity of more than five persons were to be charged Rs 5,000 per day.
The 13,050 feet Rohtang pass is situated on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali.
On May 26, the Supreme Court had declined to stay the directions and had asked the affected parties to address their grievances before NGT.
The apex court had only stayed one direction of the green panel that all vehicles would be subjected to pollution checks and should get certificates at the check post to comply with BS-IV standards before being allowed to operate in the scenic Rohtang Pass area.
The NGT in its May 5 order had restricted the number of vehicles passing through Rohtang Pass for tourism purposes to 600 petrol and 400 diesel per day on first-come, first-serve basis and directed that each vehicle allowed would pay an environmental cess.
The NGT has said the amount thus collected should be kept in the account under a separate head by the state government and utilised only for the purpose of restoring ecology and environment.
It had also directed the state government to post a team of police, transport and other departments at Vashisht and Gulaba areas between Manali and Rohtang with complete infrastructure and machinery.
