Air, water pollution, improper
waste mgmt remain unchecked
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 5: Though issues relating to pollution control, waste management and environment conservation are being given due attention in different parts of the country yet a committee of two Ministers and 14 Administrative Secretaries constituted to look into these aspects in Jammu and Kashmir has failed to begin the much-needed exercise despite lapse of several months. Due to this, the developmental activities are continuously leaving adverse impact on the environment and air-water pollution has remained a matter of grave concern.
Moreover, one department, which has an important role to play in environmental conservation, is clamoring for manpower during the past several years while as another agency is maintaining slack approach despite having all the necessary paraphernalia.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that some years back the Union Government started exercise to review and monitor implementation of environmental laws so as to come up with the amendments required to be made in line with current requirements and to meet the objectives. Even directions were issued to all the States to conduct similar exercise at their own level with the sole objective of environment conservation.
“The review of the implementation status of the environmental laws is imperative as because of much thrust on the developmental activities the environment is becoming the casualty”, they said, adding “the adverse impact of development on the environment is also clearly visible in Jammu and Kashmir as in other parts of the country”.
However, the J&K Government woke up from the deep slumber early this year and accordingly decided to get the task conducted through a multi-department committee so as to have holistic view of the problem and come up with remedial measures.
In line with this decision, the General Administration Department vide Order No.488 dated April 18, 2017 constituted a High Level Committee to regularly review the status of implementation of environmental laws in the State.
The Committee comprised of two Ministers—Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology and his deputy, Administrative Secretaries of Agriculture Production Department, Planning Department, Home Department, Power Development Department, Public Works Department, Industries and Commerce Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Forest and Environment Department, Health and Medical Education Department, Public Health Engineering Department, Transport Department, Rural Development Department, Tourism Department, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department and Chairman State Pollution Control Board was asked to review and monitor the implementation of environment laws in the State and take up issues related to pollution control, waste management and environmental conservation in a comprehensive manner.
However, despite lapse of three months not even one meeting of the High Level Committee has been convened till date, sources said. This has established that the vital issues relating to environment have been dumped by constituting the committee of Ministers and bureaucrats, they added.
“The non-seriousness on the part of High Level Committee is notwithstanding the fact that air and water pollution has already assumed alarming proportion in Jammu and Kashmir and even High Court has expressed serious concern over this issue a number of times while handling Public Interest Litigations (PILs) on the subject”, sources regretted. Moreover, disposal of solid waste in most unscientific manner has remained unchecked, which otherwise was also required to be discussed by the High Level Committee.
When contacted, a senior officer of the Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology admitted that implementation of environmental laws was poor in Jammu and Kashmir because of varied reasons including lack of seriousness right from the top level in the Government to the bottom. “Unless there is effective implementation of laws the environment will continue to become casualty of developmental activities”, he added.
“Ironically, the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing (DEERS) has been merely reduced to an advisory body with no powers to ensure strict implementation of environmental laws”, sources said, adding “moreover, this department is clamoring for sufficient manpower to perform the duties which have been assigned to it”.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing has only two DFOs-one each for Kashmir and Jammu regions to ensure implementation of Environment Protection Act. “The proposal regarding reorganization of the department is gathering dust during the past quite long time for want of clearance from Finance and Planning Departments”, sources informed.
“On the other side, Pollution Control Board, which has all the necessary paraphernalia like laboratories and manpower to ensure strict implementation of environment laws, is not performing up to the satisfaction”, sources regretted, adding “the Pollution Control Board is only coming up with the data vis-à-vis air and water pollution but as far as initiating action against the violators is concerned it is largely dependent on the district administration concerned”.
Quoting an example, sources said, “the brick kilns and stone crushers are openly violating the environmental laws but for want of necessary support from the administration of concerned district the action is getting delayed”.
“In order to ensure that environmental degradation is checked before it causes more deleterious affects the Chief Minister should intervene and ensure that the High Level Committee starts review and monitoring of implementation of environmental laws”, sources stressed.’
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