Dal Preservation: HC raps govt for non-compliance
Photo/Javed Khan
Srinagar, Dec 24: The J&K High Court on Monday expressed its disapproval of the non-compliant approach of the government towards its directions on preservation of Dal Lake saying “the authorities have not moved a single step”.
“Despite peremptory directions made by us on 27th November 2018, the authorities have not moved a single step,” Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar said.
The respondents are expected to take robust steps, especially stoppage of certain works which are detrimental to the very existence of the Dal Lake, they observed adding steps towards increasing public awareness and stopping sewage of effluents reaching the Dal Lake have to be aggressively pursued by the respondents.
With regard to the report by committee of experts constituted for studying the problems confronting the lake, the court directed the report be forthwith placed before the Chief Secretary of J&K for taking a view on the recommendations of the committee.
It directed “the authorities shall ensure strict compliance with the directions made by this court on 27th November 2018 and by the committee in both its reports.”
The bench directed complete stoppage of infusion of chemical and organic fertilizers into the lake by cultivators.
It directed that the action taken report and the compliance of the orders and the recommendations of the committee shall be filed one week before the next date of hearing.
The Chief Executive Officer of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has been directed to file its report on evaluation of action taken by the authorities.
LAWDA shall ensure that it places the full particulars as were directed by the judges in their order dated 27th November 2018 before Committee of Experts as well as this court within one week from today.
The particulars include the details of the persons undertaking cultivation in the floating gardens; details of licensed houseboat and unlicensed houseboat owners; details of encroachments and their removal; persons who have been rehabilitated; details of the properties which have been recovered upon shifting of the persons from the surrounding areas and the like.
Rashid Paul is Associate Editor at Kashmir Images.
He can be reached at [email protected]
