NGT Finds Environmental Violations at Varanasi Tent City

Why in the News ?

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has held that a ‘Tent City’ set up on the Ganga riverbed in Varanasi was established and operated in violation of environmental laws. The project, inaugurated in January 2023 by Narendra Modi, lacked mandatory environmental clearances, and the environmental compensation imposed on the private operators is yet to be recovered.

Background

• The Tent City was inaugurated on January 13, 2023, to provide accommodation for tourists and pilgrims visiting Kashi.

A petition before the NGT alleged:

• Absence of mandatory environmental approvals
• Pollution of the Ganga riverbed and river water
• Direct discharge of sewage into the river
• Ecological harm to flora and fauna
• The project was executed by two private companies, with oversight by government authorities.

Features

Violation of statutory norms

• The Tent City violated provisions of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order.

Environmental compensation

• Compensation has been levied on the project proponents but not yet recovered; the NGT directed expeditious recovery.

Future prohibition

• Authorities were directed to ensure that no Tent City or similar project violating environmental norms is permitted on the banks of the Ganga or its tributaries in future.

Wildlife sanctuary issue kept open.

• Allegations that the project site fell within the Kachhua Wildlife Sanctuary were not examined, as the sanctuary’s de-notification is pending before the Supreme Court.

Post-facto clearance flagged

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) reported that prior approval was sought only after the project had already been implemented in 2022.

Challenges 

• Post-facto environmental approvals undermine the precautionary principle.
• Riverbed construction risks: Floodplain alteration, sewage discharge, and biodiversity loss.
• Weak enforcement: Delayed recovery of environmental compensation signals regulatory laxity.
• Tourism vs ecology trade-off: Infrastructure-led tourism often conflicts with fragile river ecosystems.
• Institutional coordination gaps between local authorities, river basin regulators, and environmental watchdogs.

Way Forward

Strict prior clearance regime

• Enforce mandatory ex-ante environmental approvals for all riverfront and floodplain projects.

Polluter Pays in Practice

• Time-bound recovery of environmental compensation with escalation for non-compliance.

River-sensitive tourism planning

• Adopt low-impact, seasonal, and removable infrastructure away from active riverbeds.

Strengthen monitoring

• Real-time sewage and waste audits; independent third-party environmental monitoring.

Wildlife-first approach

• Resolve sanctuary status transparently; apply the eco-sensitive zone framework rigorously.

Accountability of authorities

• Fix responsibility on approving officials for permitting projects without statutory clearances.

Conclusion

The NGT’s ruling on the Varanasi Tent City underscores a critical governance lesson: development, even when framed as tourism promotion, cannot bypass environmental law, especially on ecologically sensitive riverbeds like the Ganga. The case highlights the dangers of post-facto approvals and weak enforcement. Going forward, river rejuvenation, biodiversity protection, and lawful planning must take precedence to ensure that iconic projects do not come at the cost of irreversible ecological damage.