HC halts parking lot project near Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand high court bench, presided over by Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal, has issued an order to halt the construction of a parking slot near Har-Ki-Pauri in Haridwar. During the hearing, the petitioner, Jai Prakash Badoni from Haridwar, asserted that tenders for the parking lot had been floated and construction had commenced on the sole available land along the banks of the Ganga at Har-Ki-Pauri and various other locations, resulting in impediments for the kanwariyas during this year’s ‘Shravan’ month.
Badoni added, “Haridwar is a sacred city, not a recreational spot, and its sanctity must be upheld. The construction of a parking lot would have a detrimental impact on the Ganga, humans, environment and diverse aquatic life forms.”
The petitioner also said that due to traffic congestion, devotees coming to Haridwar might encounter significant hurdles during festivals.
“If the govt intends to make Haridwar traffic-free, it should make arrangements for four-wheeler parking in alternative locations,” Badoni said, and implored the court to direct the state govt to refrain from proceeding with any parking construction in this vicinity. Pankul Sharma