Last week, the Allahabad High Court rejected a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that urged the Uttar Pradesh Government and relevant authorities to clear up the banks of the Hindon River and the river itself in Ghaziabad. The aim was to help devotees perform the Chhath Pooja, starting from November 19, 2023.

However, the bench hedaed by Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava, kept the option open for the petitioner, Mahant Mukesh Goswami, to seek recourse from the appropriate authority to address his concerns.

The petitioner argued in court that the Chhath Pooja spans four days and involves rituals like bathing, fasting, refraining from drinking water, standing in water, and offering prayers and 'Arghya' to the setting and rising sun. Consequently, they stressed the necessity for the authorities to clean the river for these purposes.

The petitioner filed the PIL plea after a delay and had also previously approached the District Magistrate seeking resolution for their grievance.

The State's counsel contended that besides the delay in filing the writ petition, the petitioner lacked merit in their case. They argued that devotees could perform the 'Pooja' without entering the Hindan River by utilizing artificial water tubs or opting for alternative sites like reservoirs or ponds.

Given these circumstances, the court emphasized that the relief sought by the petitioner couldn't be granted at this stage in the PIL plea. Consequently, the petition was dismissed, allowing the petitioner the option to seek resolution for their grievance from the competent authority.

Case title - Mahant Mukesh Goswami Prachin Shani Dev Mandir Ganga Ghat vs. State Of U.P. And 3 Others