The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government to file its response within four weeks on a petition seeking urgent action over alleged unregulated construction and rising landslide risks in the Mussoorie diversion area and the Doon Valley.
A division bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay passed the directions on Wednesday while hearing an application filed by social worker and environmentalist Reenu Paul in an ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The petition raises serious concerns about growing geological instability in the Mussoorie diversion area and the foothill regions of Dehradun. The diversion area refers to the stretch located between the Mussoorie foothills and Dehradun city.
According to the petition, recent activities such as construction on fragile slopes, signs of land subsidence, and cracks appearing in the ground in areas like Jharipani have increased fears of possible disasters.
The petitioner supported the claims using news reports, satellite images, geo-tagged photographs, and official records, alleging ecological damage and unsafe urban expansion in the region.
The petition also pointed out that fault lines have been identified in the Dehradun master plan for the first time, raising fresh concerns about construction in geologically sensitive zones.
It further highlighted worries over informal settlements, or bastis, developing on vulnerable hill slopes, which could worsen the impact of natural disasters. The petitioner stated that the present situation poses a serious threat to human life, property, and the fragile ecology of the region.
The court recalled that in 2021 it had directed the Chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and the Dehradun Municipal Commissioner to inspect the affected areas and seal illegal constructions.
The bench had also ordered authorities to initiate legal action against unauthorised builders and submit a status report on compliance with its earlier directions.
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