Mussoorie: The makeover of George Everest House , the iconic home of the former Surveyor General of India (after whom the world’s highest peak is named) has landed into fresh trouble in the wake of a notice issued by National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) halting the construction work proposed by the state tourism department to renovate the historic building and its surroundings. Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj had recently announced allocation of a budget of Rs 23.6 crore for the renovation work. The department had also made plans to lay the foundation stone for the project on February 17The tribunal’s notice came in response to a complaint received by NGT via e-mail in which it was mentioned that the proposed construction would affect the Benog Wildlife Sanctuary which is situated nearby.Taking cognizance of the complaint, the tribunal through the notice directed the district magistrate, Dehradun to “look into the matter and take appropriate steps in accordance with law within one month from the date of receipt of copy of this order.”A copy of the notice was also sent to divisional forest officer (DFO), Mussoorie.Speaking to TOI, DFO, Mussoorie, Kahkashan Naseem said, “We shall put a stop to construction activities at this site until further directions are received from NGT.”She however clarified that the Park Estate, where the George Everest house is located, was about 2 kms outside the boundary of the Benog Wildlife Sanctuary.Meanwhile, environmentalists said that “a way should be devised so that the makeover of the historic property can be carried out without damage to the environment.”“Everest House is a historical landmark for Mussoorie and the place has been in a pitiable condition since decades. I feel that its development should not be stopped. However, the NGT may ensure that environmental considerations and safeguards are duly followed during the development work,” said Vipin Gupta, Mussoorie-based environmental activist.Dehradun district magistrate SA Murugesan meanwhile told TOI that he has not received any notice from NGT yet. “If we do get a notice, we will respond to it appropriately,” he added.Meanwhile, Purushottam, additional programme director, tourism department, said that "our department has received the NGT order but it does not mention any violation on our part, neither have we been asked to stop development work.” “We will be meeting the district magistrate soon about the matter, and a decision would be taken after that.”

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