Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 12; As the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) has suggested three places for dumping of the garbage in Sopore Municipal limits which at present is dumped at the banks of Wullar Lake, High Court has directed the expert committee to find the suggested sites for dumping of garbage are appropriate or not.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice D S Thakur sought the response from the expert committee headed by Deputy Commissioner Baramulla indicating therein clearly as to whether the spots for dumping of the garbage suggested by the DLSA are feasible places or not.
These direction followed after the counsel for the department informed the court that difficulties are being faced by the MC Sopore for dumping daily garbage from the town as court previously has directed that no garbage is dumped at the site in question and removal of all encroachments within the vicinity of lake within the boundaries of Wular Lake as also banned any constructional activity within 200 meters of periphery of the lake.
The committee has also been directed to see that the Municipal Corporation is taking appropriate effective steps to clear the garbage and, if necessary, to lift the garbage from Sopore Town and dump it at some other authorized garbage center.
Former Chief Justice of High Court along with associate judge previously had visited the spot which is on boundaries of lake where garbage was dumped with impunity by the Local Municipal Committee.
Authorities as per court directions are bound to ensure that no garbage at all is dumped within the boundaries or within such distance of the lake as is mandated by the law as well as the International and National protocols of the area.
District Legal Services Authority Baramulla informed the court that a committee of officials of the Revenue Department, I&FC Department and the Forest Department have identified the land in Baramulla as well as in Sopore for creation of a Solid Waste landfill.
It is Wular Conservation Management Authority (WUCMA) in its reply submits that Municipal Committee Sopore has illegally dumped municipal solid waste within the demarcated area of Wular Lake and also carried out unauthorized constructions in the said area.
WUCAM added that taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions, the MC Sopore has started dumping solid waste in the Wular Lake which is in violation of Wetland (conservation & management) Rules, 2017, High Court orders, National Green Tribunal Orders and Solid Waste Management Rules and taking cognizance of said violation by MC Sopore, WUCMA issued notice to Executive Officer of the committee to stop the illegal activity.
Court was hearing a PIL mentioning therein that with impunity and in violation of the rules governing the field, the garbage collected by the Municipal Council Sopore is being dumped on the banks of the lake causing grave harm to the ecology and environment of the water body by converting it into garbage site.
Central Auqaf Committee consisting of eight Auqaf committees of the area, filed the instant PIL seeking slew of directions to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, J&K government and to Municipal Council for immediate removal of garbage dumped on the spot.
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