No Development Zone along Ganga River

A Model Draft Bill for Flood Plain Zoning Legislation was circulated by the Union Government in 1975 to all States to help States enact legislation. The model bill provided for prohibition and restriction of the activities in the notified area of the flood plain.

The River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016 provides that the bank of River Ganga and its flood plain shall be construction free zone. It also prohibits construction of any structure for residential or commercial or industrial or any other purposes in the River Ganga, Bank of River Ganga or its tributaries or active flood area of River Ganga or its tributatires.

The National Green Tribunal vide its judgment dated 13.07.2017 in O.A. 200/2014 has directed to identity and demarcate the flood plains of river Ganga from Haridwar to Unnao and has ordered that till the said identification and demarcation of flood plain is completed, 100 metres from the edge of the river would be designated as no development/construction zone.

Further, Ministry of Environment Forests & Climate Change also circulated draft notification on “River Conservation Zones” in 2015 to all States.

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation has taken up the matter with all the states. Only Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Manipur have enacted the Legislation.