The Rishikesh Municipality has undertaken work on marking and removing unauthorised constructions encroaching on the banks of the Chandrabhaga river here. This action was taken considering the Public Interest Litigation filed in the High Court and instructions issued by the District Magistrate for removal of the encroachments from the riverside areas. However, Anil Gupta, who has filed the PIL in the High Court, has termed the actions of the Rishikesh Municipality as mere formality.

It is pertinent to mention that considering the threat posed to human lives in riverside encroachments due to rise in the level of water in the river with the advent of monsoon, the District Magistrate had directed the Rishikesh Municipality and local public representatives to facilitate the removal of riverside encroachments. The DM had ordered the use of force if necessary to rid the riverside of encroachments. While many people voluntarily removed their encroachments from the bed and banks of the Chandrabhaga river, the municipality also employed at JCB to facilitate the removal of encroachments.

The removal of encroachments on the bed and banks of the Chandrabhaga has been one of the important pending tasks for the District administration and municipality. The advent of monsoon has also brought a new danger for the residents of shanties encroaching around the Chandrabhaga. The local police has also been receiving complaints of various illegal activities in such unauthorised settlements like poaching of fish and sale of contraband. About 10 days ago the municipality, Public Works Department and Irrigation Department undertook a drive and marked the encroachments in the area following which many of the encroachers voluntarily removed their unauthorised encroachments.

According to the Irrigation Department assistant engineer RS Rauthan, about 300 encroachments have been marked in the area and a report comprising of data on the same has been submitted to the administration.