Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Wednesday directed the authorities to place before it the results of the tests by the Pollution Control Board pertaining to the water of Dal Lake for the past six months.
Justices Puneet Gupta and Atul Sreedharan while hearing an over-two-decade-old public interest petition on the fatal illness of Dal Lake today directed the respondents “to place before this court on the next date of hearting without fail the reports of the tests conducted by the Pollution Control Board pertaining to the water of Dal Lake from the past six months”.
The two judge bench further directed “necessarily this report must provide this court with the current value of the state of water of the Dal Lake, the permissible limits of the various constituents and a brief opinion expressing whether values are within standard or below standard.”
It ordered that the report must reach the office of the Advocate General one week before the date of hearing with advance copy to be served upon the amicus curiae which shall be the responsibility of the Advocate General’s office.
Earlier the amicus curiae, senior advocate Zafar Shah, took the bench through various orders passed by J&K High court in the past. The orders reflected grave concern about the lake.
The lawyer also recorded noncompliance with previous court orders by the government. “The need to read and appreciate these orders are essential to understand the meandering course that the case has taken till date over a period of 22 years,” observed the bench and stated that the process would continue on the next date of hearing by way of direction.
Reports suggest a worsening condition of the famed urban lake of Kashmir due to municipal sewage, pollution and urbanization.
The lake, according to experts, is choked by the surge of plastic and pollution. Discharge of municipal sewage and encroachments is drowning the jewel and the fish and other fauna and flora in the Dal ecosystem is struggling for existence, say the reports.
The commercialisation of the lake periphery has brought new challenges, threatening the very existence of the lake that holds a significant position on the itinerary of visitors.
