NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday quashed the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) declaring Amarnath cave shrine a silence zone and prohibiting religious offerings beyond the entry point.

In a bid to preserve the ecosensitive Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas , the NGT took suo motu cognisance of noise pollution near the shrine and passed a slew of directions including declaring the area a ‘silence zone’ saying it would be helpful in preventing avalanches and maintaining its pristine nature.

It had taken up the Amarnath issue while dealing with a plea relating to stopping the use of horses and ponies in Vaishno Devi shrine premises in Jammu. Challenging the order, Amarnath Shrine Board approached the SC raising question on how could NGT interfere in the age-old tradition followed by devotees visiting the holy shrine.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi contended that the NGT order was against religious sentiments of the people and pleaded that it should be quashed. How court tribunal restrain devotees not to have “prasad” with them, he said. Abench of Justices Madan BLokur and Deepak Gupta, after a brief hearing, quashed the NGT order.

It, however, asked the J&K government to place before it a plan to phase out use of horses and ponies in Vaishno Devi shrine and introduce battery operated vehicles to carry devotees. The bench also stayed the NGT order slapping a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the state government for not framing rehabilitation plan for around 4,400 porters who carry pilgrims on horses and mules to the shrine.

Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh and lawyer M Shoeb Alam, appearing for the state, told the bench that motorable track had been constructed and battery operated vehicles introduced for pilgrims. They said a rehabilitation plan for porters had been framed but it was waiting for cabinet approval.

