Can Badrinath be declared national heritage, HC asks Centre

The High Court of Uttarakhand has asked the Central Government whether the Badrinath shrine can be declared a national heritage. The Government has been asked to submit an affidavit in this regard on August 27. The division bench of justices VK Bisht and Manoj Kumar Tiwari issued this direction while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Chetna Bhargav.

Further, the Peyjal Nigam counsel has been told to inspect the area and submit a report in the court. The advocate general has been asked to talk to the Urban Development Secretary about why Badrinath cannot be developed in the form of a special area. The court has directed that the Urban Development Secretary should also be made a party in this case.

According to the case details, Chetna Bhargav had filed a PIL in the high court stating that a sewage treatment plant (STP) had been constructed along the Alaknanda and Rishiganga rivers in Badrinath. Due to this, the river is being contaminated by the water from the STP. The water from the river is used by devotees for rituals in the temple. Considering this, the petitioner has sought that the STP be shifted elsewhere.