Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a Divisional Level Monitoring Committee for the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Surinsar-Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary, aimed at ensuring effective implementation of environmental guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
As per an order, the committee would be headed by Divisional Commissioner Jammu with Deputy Commissioners of Udhampur, Jammu, and Samba, Regional Wildlife Warden, Jammu, Regional Director, Jammu, Department of Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing, J&K (or his representative), Dr Pankaj Chandan, Executive Director, National Development Foundation, Jammu (representative of Non-Government Organisation), Dr Om Prakash Sharma, retired IFS (Member, Jammu and Kashmir Biodiversity Council), CEO Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, District officers of Housing and Urban Development Department, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, and Agriculture Production Department as Members, and Wildlife Warden, Kathua as Member Secretary.
The committee shall monitor the compliance of the provisions of the notifications issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India under SO 210(E) dated January 17, 2022, the order said.
Besides, it will scrutinize the activities that are covered in the schedule to the notfifcation of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests number SO 1533 (E) dated September 14, 2006, and are falling in the eco-sensitive zone, except for the prohibited activities as specified in the table under paragraph 4 thereof, based on the actual site-specific conditions and referred to the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for prior environmental clearance under the provision of the said notification.
The committee shall also scrutinize the activities that are not covered in the Schedule to the notification of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests, number SO 1533 (E) dated September 14, 2006 and are falling in the Eco-Sensitive Zone, except for the prohibited activities specified in the table under paragraph 4 thereof, based on the actual site-specific conditions and referred to the concerned regulatory authorities, ordered the Government.
Further, the committee has been asked to submit its annual action taken report of the activities as on the 31st of March of every year by the June 30 of that year to the Chief Wildlife Warden in the Union Territory.
“The Member Secretary of the Monitoring Committee or the concerned Deputy Commissioner(s) shall be competent to file complaints under section 19 of the Environment Act, against any person who contravenes the provisions of the notification,” read the order issued by the Government.
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