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Rishikesh Protests Halt Trains During Supreme Court–Ordered Forest Land Survey

Police reopened routes after clashes during measurements for a court report due January 5.

Overview

  • The state-appointed committee is surveying roughly 2,866 acres of reserved forest under a Supreme Court order issued on December 22.
  • Demonstrators blocked the highway and railway near the Mansa Devi crossing, delaying or halting trains including the Rishikesh-bound Barmer Express and the Gangotri Express.
  • Police reported stone-pelting, used a lathi charge for crowd control, deployed PAC units, and later held a flag march in the Rishikesh–Shyampur area.
  • Officials said identified instigators will face cases, and the inquiry team continued on-site measurements across multiple neighborhoods despite resistance.
  • The dispute stems from a 99-year lease granted in 1950 to a local society, with allegations of unauthorised commercial use and informal parcel transfers on reserved forest land.