Tiger Hill: NGT seeks reply from Centre, state, WBPCB
Times of India | 13 April 2024
Kolkata: The NGT’s Eastern Zonal bench, comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Arun Kumar Verma (expert member), demanded a counter-affidavit from multiple authorities, including the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), Bengal urban and municipal affairs department, WBPCB and Darjeeling Municipality, after serious allegations made by activist Subhas Datta regarding the deteriorating environmental condition of Tiger Hill.
Tiger Hill is reportedly facing a significant ecological crisis. Datta brought attention to these issues during a recent visit, undertaken at the invitation of local ecology groups.
Situated within Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1915, Tiger Hill serves as a vital green zone and water catchment area, supplying drinking water to Darjeeling town and adjacent regions.
According to Datta’s allegations, the uppermost part of Tiger Hill was extensively concretized. Additionally, mobile towers were reportedly installed without environmental permissions and unauthorized human settlements emerged. Concerns were raised about an inadequate sewage management system, leading to health hazards due to the pollution of underground aquifers from tourist-generated waste.
Further accusations include absence of sewage management systems in the nearby Bustee area, rampant littering of plastic waste in violation of regulations and ongoing construction activities. The NGT has deemed these allegations serious and called upon relevant authorities to respond.