The NGT Principal Bench acknowledged an original application regarding river pollution and encroachment in Gadkha, Bihar. Instead of disposing of the matter, the Bench transferred the case to its Eastern Zone Bench in Kolkata based on territorial jurisdiction.
Transferred the case to the Eastern Zone Bench of NGT at Kolkata for hearing.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
Items No.04
Court No. 2
BEFORE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 365/2026
Nilesh Kumar
Applicant
Versus
State of Bihar & Ors.
Respondents
Date of hearing: 05.08.2026
CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER
Applicant: None for the applicant.
ORDER
13 SCC 401.
follows:-
“xxx……………….………………..xxx……………………………………xxx
विषय-गड़खा बाजार स होकर बहन े िाली नदी की अविक्रमण मुक्ति, नदी क े प्रिाह को अविरल बनान े एि े कुड़ा - ं करकट डवप ं ग वनवषद्ध जोन क ं रूप म े ं विक्तिि करन े क े स े ब ं ध म ं ं। े
महाशय,
उपय ु ि विषयक सादर सूविि करना ह वक गड़खा बाजार स ै होकर बहन े िाली नदी वजस े कभी मही नदी िो कभी े डाबरा नदी क रूप म े ं स े बोवधि वकया जािा ह ं का प्रिाह गड़खा बाजार क्ष ै त्र म े ं बावधि हो रहा ह े । ै
उल्लखनीय ह े वक उि नदी क ै िटब े धो ं का गड़खा बाईपास िक वनमा ं ण वकया गया ह ु , परन्तु बाईपास पर अिक्तिि ै पुल क दुसर े िरफ अर्ा े ि गड़खा बाजार क ु िरफ नदी क े िटब े धो ं क ं सुदृढीकरण क े स े दभ ं म ु ं कोई कार े िाई नही ु ं की गई ह। ै
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िूवक गड़खा बाजार क्ष ं त्र म े ं सरकारी भूवम अयिा कोई भी छोटा म े दान आवद नही ह ै , वजसक ै कारण उि क्ष े त्र क े े वनिासी ियोिृद्धो आवद क ं प्रािः टहलन े अर्िा व्यायाम आवद करन े की कोई उपयुि व्यििा नही ह े । गइखा ै बाजार क्तिि नि वनवमि पुल क ु पुरब की िरफ बीबीपुर जान े िाल े सड़क जो नदी वकनार े क्तिि ह े क ै वकनार े िानीय े बाजार स रोज वव े टल की मात्रा म ं ं कुड़ा कड़कट आवद डाला जािा ह े वजसस ै नदी क े पाररिविकी ि े त्र पर प्रश्नविि ं लग िुका ह। ै
ििमान म ु ं पुरान े पुल क े जगह नया पुल का वनमा े ण हुआ ह ु , वनमा ै ण क ु समय बनाय े गय े डायिस े न को नदी क ु मुल े प्रिाह स हटाया नही गया ह े , वजस कारण नदी का प्रिाह बावधि ह ै , पुल क ै दोनो िरफ कुड़ा ड े वप ं ग करक ं कुड़ा े करकट का पहाड़ बना वदया गया ह प्लाक्तिक आवद क ै कारण नदी का माग े अिरूद्ध हो िुका ह ु वजसस ै नदी का े अपना अक्तित्व समाप्ती की ओर अग्रसर ह। यवद यही व्यििा रही िो आन ै िाल े एक दो दशक म े ं नदी नाल े क े े रूप मं पररिवि े ि हो जाय ु गी। े
विवदि हो वक िानीय वनिासी एि बाजार क ं नालो े का सीधा वनकास नदी म ं ं वकया गया ह े फलस्वरूप नदी का ै पानी दवनक रूप स ै हजारो लीटर दुवषि पानी क े वमलन े क े कारण उपयोग योग्य नही रह गया ह े , एि ै ि ं त्र (अप्र ै ल) ै एि कावि ं क (अक्टुबर) माह म ु ं होन े िाल े महापि े छठ भी क्रमशः गइखा और बीबीपुर घाटो पर इसी दुवषि जल क ु े मध्य खड़ होकर मनाया जािा ह े । ै
नदी क िटब े धो ं क ं सुदृढीकरण, िटब े धो पर िृक्षारोपण एि ं िटब ं ध पर िायी कुवस ं यो ु का वनमा ं ण हो जान ु स े िानीय े वनिासीयो को प्रकृवि स ं सीधा जुड़न े क े सार् द े वनक प्रािः भ्रमण, एि ै उि िटब ं धो ं का स ं दया ं करण कर ररिर फ्र ु ट ं योजना क िज े पर एक रमणीय िल क ु विकास की पूरी स े भािना ह ं , वजसक ै बनन े स े एक बड़ े जनसमुह क े े आध्याक्तिक आकाक्षाओ ं की सम्मानजनक पूिी स ं भि हो सक ं गी। जो रोजगार क े सार् सार् आम जन मानस को े प्रकृवि स जुड़न े का एक अपररवमि आयाम का वनमा े ण कर ु गी। सार् ही नदी क े जल भ े डारण क्षमिा बढन ं स े वस े िाई ं का एक विकल्प उपलब्ध होगा जो वकसानो को ग ं र पारम्पररक वस ै िाई क ं स्त्रोिो एि े भूवमगि जल क ं दोहन स े े मुक्ति का एक उपयुि विकल्प होगा।
अिः अनुरोध ह वक उपरोि िवण ै ि नदी क ु गइखा बाजार स े बीबीपुर छठ घाट िक क े अ े श को कुड़ा करकट स ं े मुि करन, नदी क े प्राकृविक प्रिाह म े ं बाधा उत्पन्न करन े िाल े कारको े एि ं नदी की भूवम पर हुए अविक्रमण को ं मुि कर गड़खा बाजार क स े दया ं करण की वदशा म ु ं अप े वक्षि कार े िाई करन ु की कृपा प्रदान कर े ं।“ े
relevant part of the O.A. reproduced above, reads as under:-
“Subject-Regarding encroachment free river flowing through Gadkha market, making the flow of the river uninterrupted and marking it as a prohibited zone for garbage dumping.
Sir,
Regarding the above, it is respectfully informed that the flow of the river flowing through Gadkha Bazaar, which is sometimes referred to as Mahi River and sometimes as Dabra River, is being obstructed in the Gadkha Bazaar area.
It is noteworthy that the embankments of the said river have been constructed till Gadkha bypass, but no action has been taken regarding strengthening of the river embankments on the other side of the bridge located on the bypass, i.e. towards Gadkha market.
Since there is no government land or any small ground in the Gadkha Bazaar area, there is no proper arrangement for the elderly residents of the area to take morning walks or do exercise etc. On the bank of the river, towards the bank of the newly constructed bridge at Gadkha Bazaar, the road leading to Bibipur is dumped daily by quintals of garbage from the local market, which has put a question mark on the river's ecosystem.
Currently, a new bridge has been constructed in place of the old bridge. The diversion made during the construction has not been removed from
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the main flow of the river, due to which the flow of the river is obstructed. Mountains of garbage have been created by dumping garbage on both sides of the bridge. The river's path has been blocked due to plastic etc., due to which the river is moving towards extinction. If this situation continues, then in the coming one or two decades the river will turn into a drain.
It is known that the drains of the local residents and the market have been directly discharged into the river, as a result of which the river water has become unusable due to mixing of thousands of litres of contaminated water daily, and the great festival Chhath which is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (April) and Kartik (October) is also celebrated by standing in the middle of this contaminated water at Gadkha and Bibipur Ghats respectively.
By strengthening the river embankments, planting trees on the embankments and constructing permanent chairs on the embankments, there is every possibility of developing a beautiful place on the lines of the River Front Scheme by providing the local residents with a direct connection with nature, daily morning walks, and beautifying the said embankments, which will make it possible to respectfully fulfil the spiritual aspirations of a large group of people. Along with employment, it will also connect the common people with nature.
This will create an infinite dimension of connectivity. Furthermore, increasing the river's water storage capacity will provide an irrigation option that will free farmers from the exploitation of non-traditional irrigation sources and groundwater.
Therefore, it is requested that you kindly take necessary action towards beautification of Gadkha Bazaar by freeing the above mentioned stretch of the river from Gadkha Bazaar to Bibipur Chhath Ghat from garbage, from factors obstructing the natural flow of the river and from encroachment on the river land.”
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it will be appropriate if the case is heard by the Eastern Zone Bench of this Tribunal at Kolkata.
Arun Kumar Tyagi, JM
Dr. A. Senthil Vel, EM
05th August, 2026 Original Application No. 365/2026 SN
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2 issues framed by the court
Whether a complaint regarding river pollution and encroachment received via the Public Grievances Portal warrants suo moto jurisdiction.
Whether the cause of action arising from the pollution and encroachment in Gadkha, Bihar falls within the jurisdiction of the Principal Bench or the Eastern Zone Bench of the NGT.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita SinhaExplained¶14
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha, (2022) 13 SCC 401 · Who else cites this
1 provisions across 1 enactments
Nilesh Kumar
State of Bihar & Ors.
Arun Kumar Tyagi
A. Senthil Vel
As recorded by the court registry
An original application before a tribunal, most commonly a service dispute before the Central or a State Administrative Tribunal.
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
