Srinagar: J&K High Court has asked the government to proceed for modification of the Master Plan 2035 by following due process as contemplated under the law.
Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Moksha Khajuria Kazmi while hearing a PIL on the importance of preservation of the Dal Lake and preventing further damage to its ecosystem, said “the respondents may proceed for modification of the Master Plan 2035 by following the due process as contemplated under the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, 1970.”
The matter has been listed for further hearing on Wednesday June 14, 2023.
On the issue of the sudden mass deaths of fish in the lake, the bench ordered the Director Fisheries, Kashmir, to examine the matter.
The officer has been asked to ascertain the cause of the death of fish in Dal Lake at an earliest and submit a report to the court.
The Amicus Curiae in the matter had brought to the notice of the court sudden death of fish in Dal Lake without there being any apparent cause.
He said the matter is of grave concern as to the reasons behind the death of fishes in the Dal Lake. He submitted that there must be certain reasons for this mass death.
The division bench also directed the Pollution Control Board, Srinagar to submit its report about the quality of water and oxygen content of the Lake.
The court had taken cognizance of the various issues facing the Lake and passed a detailed order in September 2022. Keeping in mind the Master Plan 2035, the court was of the view that it can be revised and modified as per the advice of the experts.
The court accordingly granted liberty to the State to get the area of buffer zones around the Dal Lake re-examined by the State authorities.
Pursuant to the order a Technical Committee of Experts was constituted in December 2022 and consequently its report was accepted by the government. The statutory process was initiated so as to make requisite changes in the Master Plan.
The court also acted upon the applications filed on behalf of the Director Tourism, Kashmir, seeking permission to carry out repairs or reconstruction of certain houseboats in the Lake.
A committee headed by Tourism department authorities had approved repairs and reconstruction of the houseboats claiming that certain conditions had been laid down on existing dimensions for the purpose.
The committee had, according to its communiqué, laid down that bio-digester or any other method approved by the J&K LAWDA shall be installed before the houseboat is made operational and the houseboats shall not change mooring sites.
The court as a result allowed the applications to enable the respective houseboat owners to make necessary repairs or reconstruction in their respective houseboats in terms of the approval of the committee.
