Srinagar: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has directed the Union Territory administration not to allow raising any concrete structure in the Bangus Valley without its permission.
The order was passed in a public interest petition by a bench of acting Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Rajnesh Oswal. It directed “the respondents, particularly the respondent No. 3 (Divisional Forest Officer Kehmil Forest division Kralpora Kupwara) not to allow raising any concrete structure in the Bangus Valley without leave of this court”.
The petitioner advocate Mohammad Umar Mir had prayed for a direction to the respondent Forest department and Lolab Bangus Drangwayi Development Authority (LBDDA) to prepare a Master Plan for sustainable development of Bangus valley before carrying on any developmental work.
He also sought that the respondent authorities be asked to take steps for preservation of natural beauty of Bangus Valley including its Forests, stream, meadows etc while preparing Master Plan for Bangus Valley.
The petitioner further prayed for a direction to the respondents to prepare the master plan for Bangus valley by following the procedure as envisaged in Jammu and Kashmir Development Act 1970.
The plan be “framed in such a way that no concrete constructions and buildings are allowed to be constructed in the Bangus valley and that no allotment of land be made in haphazard manner and in excess for commercial activities”, read his petition.
The bench issued a notice to the authorities which was accepted by Syed Musaib, the official attorney. He was granted four weeks’ time for filing the response. The matter has been listed for further proceedings on September 11, 2024.
The respondents arrayed in the PIL include Commissioner Secretary to Government, Forest Department, Civil Secretariat Srinagar; Conservator of Forests, North Circle Sopore; Divisional Forest Officer, Kehmil Forest division, Kralpora Kupwara; District Development Commissioner Kupwara and Chief Executive Officer LBDDA Kupwara.
The PIL stated that Bangus is a newly explored tourist destination and thousands of tourists visit every day to this spot.
It said that the beautiful tourist destination Bangus is an adventure place spread over an area of 300 hectares in district Kupwara at an altitude of 10,000 feet above the sea level.
“It is a point of attraction for many tourists and visitors because of its long and wide green meadows, dense forests, streams and small and big valleys, and slopes of the side plateaus,” reads the petition.
It stressed that in the absence of a Master Plan, the Green Valley of Bangus is under threat of haphazard constructions and allotments for commercial purposes which would prove fatal for the natural beauty of the spot and its meadows and trees and streams.
It said “LBDDA before carrying on any developmental activity needs to have an eco-friendly master plan for Bangus Valley for its sustainable development so that no concrete construction is allowed there and no haphazard allotments of land are made to private persons for commercial purposes, which would affect the beauty and natural flora and fauna of Bangus Valley”.
