Jammu, Mar 05: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council Panel today expressed concern over environmental pollution and directed the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to send a team to Budgam district to check the establishment of brick kilns in violation of norms.
A meeting of the Committee on Environment of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council was held here today under the chairmanship of MLC Ali Mohammad Dar to discuss the environmental issues pertaining to the Pollution Control Board, transport, traffic, health, industries and local bodies departments in the state.
Legislators, QaiserJamsheed Lone, Girdhari Lal Raina, Muzaffar Ahmad Parray and Shwakat Hussain Ganai attended the meeting and gave their suggestions for safeguarding the environment of the state and urged for launching vigorous campaign to safeguard the water-bodies.
The committee directed the chairman Pollution Control Board, B Siddanth Kumar, to send the team of officers to Chattargam village in Budgam district to check the establishment of brick kilns in violation of norms prescribed by the government, an official spokesperson said.
They also directed that committee should visit garbage dumping site at Achan Eidgah Srinagar.
The committee discussed the present status of the measures initiated by the concerned departments to diffuse the high traffic density in the state, especially in the capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar to abate the automobile exhaust emission, a major threat to the environment, the spokesperson said.
The committee opined that there was a need to evolve an effective mechanism to monitor and minimise the hazardous effects of traffic congestion, besides proper monitoring the old vehicles so that the pollution can be stopped, he said.
Among others, Regional Director, Pollution Control Board Shokat Choudhary and E. E. J&K State Pollution Control Board, J. N. Sharma besides senior officers of Legislative Council Secretariat were present in the meeting.
