Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 18: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Inderjeet Khajuria, President All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association Jammu, highlighting delay in artificial lake and Mubarak Mandi gondola projects and several other issues, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Justice Virender Singh and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur today directed Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation and Vice-Chairperson Jammu Development Authority to file response within four weeks highlighting the steps taken for removal of garbage from river Tawi.
In the PIL, it has been submitted that the State Government day in and day out has been claiming that all possible measures are being taken to make Jammu city a place of tourist attraction by restoring its natural beauty.
“Since the economy of the State is totally dependent on tourism, the State Government from time to time is claiming to come up with different plans to do the needful but the situation on the ground is entirely different”, the petitioner said, adding “one of major tourist attraction of all times is scared River Tawi, which is also called Surya Putri. But, during the past some years the flow of water is decreasing owing to the pollution and increasing untreated sewage being dumped into the river”.
“Keeping in view these problems, the authorities at the helm of affairs proposed construction of an artificial lake in river Tawi, as the same was sure to have a remarkable effect on the environment as well as economy of the State in general and Jammu City in particular”, the petitioner said, adding “preservation of the left over part of River Tawi becomes the moral and legal duty of every citizen of the State as well as the Government”.
“The Government is duty bound to explain the reasons for negligence on its part in supervising the enforcement of heritage protection laws and for turning a blind eye to illegal constructions/encroachments that are mushrooming on the banks of River Tawi”, the petitioner said.
After hearing Senior Advocate BS Salathia with Advocate Meenakshi Salathia for the PIL whereas AAG Seema Shekhar for the State and Advocate Sindu Sharma for the JDA, DB directed Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation and Vice-Chairperson Jammu Development Authority to file response within four weeks highlighting the steps taken for removal of garbage from river Tawi.
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