August 23,2018:

Uttarakhand High Court has termed high-altitude alpine meadows as ‘God’s grasslands’.

HC Bench comprising of Chief Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Lok Pal Singh has directed State to “consider declaring all the important high-altitude valleys and alpine meadows/ sub-alpine meadows/bugyals with rich plant population as high-altitude national parks and sanctuaries within a period of six months.”

Uttarakhand High Court has banned overnight stay in Alpine Meadows citing it as a threat to the fragile ecosystem.

Bench has ordered removal of all permanent structures including huts constructed for tourists in meadows across the state within three months.

HC Divison Bench remarked that bugyals are an important feature of ecosystem and “every effort should be made to save them from disaster.”

Judges further ordered to restrict number of tourists visiting these areas to not more than 200 at a given time.

To ensure the meadows retain their pristine beauty, Hiigh Court has directed all the 13 District Magistrates to carry out “removal of the plastic water bottles, cans etc from all bugyals within six weeks” and has directed State to make sure that no new construction or encroachment is done in these alpine meadows “in any form, even in the name of the religion.

Picture Source :