*Due in 2015, Govt even fails to come up with fresh SoER
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 22: At a time when entire country is concerned about fast degradation of the environment, an exercise to formulate first ever Environment Policy of Jammu and Kashmir has failed to reach the logical conclusion despite lapse of nearly six years mainly because of non-serious approach of the Forest Department and its allied wings. Moreover, the State has yet not paid any attention towards preparation of fresh State of Environment Report (SoER), which otherwise was due to be released early last year as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as Constitution of India obligates States as well as citizens to protect the environment, the Department of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing under the overall administrative control of Forest Department was created in Jammu and Kashmir in the year 1987 with the sole objective to check degradation of environment caused by varied factors by formulating a comprehensive Environment Policy.
The formulation of Environment Policy was imperative for a State like Jammu and Kashmir where environment is the main attraction for the tourists. However, vital aspect received the attention of State only in 2011 when Government constituted a Technical Committee vide Order No.161-FSt dated March 31, 2011.
Headed by the Chairman of State Pollution Control Board, the Technical Committee comprising of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Director Soil and Water Conservation Department, Director Environment and Remote Sensing, Chief Conservator of Forests and Ecotourism, Joint Director State Forest Research Institute, Senior Agrostologist and Regional Director, Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing reviewed the draft prepared by the Coordinator ENVIS/SER in its meeting held on July 30, 2012.
After analyzing the draft the Technical Committee proposed to constitute a sub-committee under Member Secretary, State Pollution Control Board and the convener of the Technical Committee sent the draft to all the members of the sub-committee for comments in 2012-2013, sources said. However, before the sub-committee could complete the assigned task entire record got damaged due to flooding of Civil Secretariat at Srinagar in September 2014.
“Thereafter, no step was initiated either by the sub-committee or by the Technical Committee to again commence the exercise and give final shape to the draft of the first-ever Environment Policy”, sources regretted, adding “even if the sub-committee begins the exercise during the current year the same cannot be concluded in a time-bound manner as draft is required to be circulated to all the stakeholders again for their comments and on the receipt of the same several rounds of discussions would have to be held before finally placing the Environment Policy before the State Cabinet for approval and notification”.
“All this indicates that concern for environment degradation, which has already been witnessed at large scale in all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, has remained confined to the official statements of the Ministers and concerned bureaucrats”, sources rued, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that even 30 years after its establishment the Department of Environment, Ecology and Remote Sensing has failed to formulate much-needed Environment Policy for the State”.
What to talk of first-ever Environment Policy, the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing has also failed to come up with fresh State of Environment Report, which otherwise was required to be formulated in the year 2015 as per the guidelines of Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), sources informed.
It is pertinent to mention here that State of Environment Report (SoER) serves as a basic tool in decision making by the planners, Non-Governmental Organizations and stakeholder departments in the environmental management of the State. Since the environment is associated with the social development which includes priority issues like land degradation, bio-diversity, air and water pollution and management aspect of natural resources, the SoER helps a lot in reorientation of planning on eco-friendly lines.
“The first ever State of Environment Report was prepared by the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing in the year 2013 for a period of two years and it was to be prepared afresh in the year 2015 but even after inordinate delay nobody in the Forest Department is in a position to specify any timeframe for formulation of report”, sources said.
When contacted, Director, Department of Environment and Remote Sensing O P Sharma confirmed that no exercise could be initiated to formulate Environment Policy following damage to the record in the devastating floods of 2014. He also attributed this to transfer of officers, who were the members of the Technical Committee.
About the SoER, he said, “as per the guidelines of MoEF the tenders were floated for outsourcing of this service but the consultant who was shortlisted for the task backtracked at the last moment thereby creating roadblock in the formulation of report”, adding “we will shortly float fresh tenders for engaging new consultant”.
However, sources said that not even discussion has been held on floating of fresh tenders till date as such no time-frame can be specified for formulation and release of fresh State of Environment Report.
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