- (1.) Heard Sri Punit Kumar Upadhyay, learned counsel for the petitioner. Sri Rama Nand Pandey, Additional Chief Standing Counsel and Sri Siddharth Khare, learned counsel for the respondent.
(2.) Petitioner, a former Professor of Economics of Indian Institute of Management (I.I.M.), Bangaluru and an Environmentalist, who upon research published a paper on the Impact of Human Activities and Pollution on River Ganga, has filed the instant writ petition in public interest.
(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioner, on instructions, confined to prayer clauses (II) and (III) of the writ petition which reads thus: "(II) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents to make an impact study with regard to the impact on the Turtles and other wildlife with regard to waive wash, waive strikes, noise pollution and adverse impact and oil splurge and waive movement in the sanctuary. (Annexure No. 4). (III) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus commanding the respondents not to navigate Ships/Vessels in River Ganga in the protected sanctuary of Turtles and wildlife at Varanasi until impact assessment is being made and the ways for its mitigation is being evolved by the Central Government.";