A joint committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has exposed serious environmental violations by a highway construction firm in Himachal Pradesh, recommending a hefty fine for endangering the Beas river ecosystem.
Contractor Flouts Rules, Risks River Health
The committee, in a recent fact-finding report submitted to the NGT, found that Gawar Construction Ltd, the company hired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the Mandi-Pathankot highway project, was illegally and unscientifically dumping muck. The dumping occurred along the Beas riverbank and into a rivulet at Sauli Khad near Mandi.
The panel has recommended imposing environmental compensation of Rs 6 lakh on the company—Rs 1 lakh for each of the six identified dumping sites. The inspection, carried out on December 8, 2025, revealed that the contractor dumped muck at the designated site without the mandated protective measures, leading to spillage.
Multiple Illegal Sites Threaten Monsoon Disaster
During the site visit, committee members discovered that muck was being dumped at two additional, non-designated locations where it had slid dangerously close to the Beas riverbank. The committee, which included Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rupender Kaur, CPCB scientist Narender Sharma, MoEF scientist Anup Kumar, and state PCB officer Vinay Kumar, noted a complete absence of safety measures.
"No retaining walls were built at these sites, nor was any reclamation plan in place," the report stated. It warned that the loose muck could easily wash into the Beas during the rainy season, causing severe pollution.
In a more alarming discovery, the committee found that muck was also being dumped directly into the Ropu naala, a tributary of the Beas. This, the report cautioned, "may obstruct the natural course of this rivulet during the monsoon season," significantly raising the risk of floods and erosion in the area.
NGT Acts on Residents' Plea, Issues Directives
The NGT formed the joint committee after acting on a letter petition filed by worried residents of a housing colony in Sauli Khad. The residents had alleged that the highway construction work led to the contractor "indiscriminately dumping boulders and muck into the Sauli Khad," obstructing its flow and threatening their safety and property.
The joint committee has issued clear directives to prevent further damage. It has asked the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board to order Gawar Construction to remove all illegally dumped muck from unauthorized locations and prepare a time-bound action plan for the same.
Furthermore, the panel directed the NHAI to make immediate alternate arrangements, such as installing temporary culverts, to ensure the natural flow of the Ropu naala is not blocked until the muck is cleared. The findings highlight a blatant disregard for NGT orders and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) guidelines, which mandate scientific muck disposal only at designated sites with proper retaining structures.
This case underscores the ongoing tension between infrastructure development and the preservation of the fragile Himalayan ecology, where unscientific practices can have devastating consequences for both the environment and local communities.
