Hon’ble Ashok Bhushan, J.—There is no river in the world which has influenced humanity or contributed to the growth of material civilization, or of special ethics to such an extent as the holy river Ganga. The mighty river which has silently worked through ages in an unceasing process of regeneration of soil, spreading life and sustenance to vast humanity, is today, struggling to survive from uncontrolled and unabated pollution of its water caused by sewage discharge from towns, cities including discharge of effluents from industries, tanneries and mills situate on its banks. In these two writ petitions, which have been entertained as public interest litigation, the petitioners have come up to challenge the project and grant of environmental clearance dated 23.8.2007 for construction of 8-Lane Express Highway (Ganga Express Highway) proposed to be constructed on the left bank of river Ganga from Noida to Ballia (1047 Km) along with which there shall also be commercial, industrial, institutional and residential development spread over an area of more than 12,000 hectare.

2. The petitioners plead that on the right bank of river Ganga there being already dense urbanisation, co