Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 13: High Court has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the recommendations made by the amicus to the PIL dealing with measures sought to be taken to prevent the devastating floods like 2014.
The amicus to the PIL has submitted his recommendation and suggestions with regard to measures required to be taken to prevent the 2014 like devastating floods and the counsel representing the Government of J&K prayed for short accommodation to examine those suggestions in order to submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) on behalf of the Government
The court was hearing a PIL relating to various issues and the measures sought to be taken to prevent any similar devastating floods, which had occurred in September, 2014.
The PIL was filed to avert/prevent a similarly devastating flood, which occurred in Kashmir around Jhelum River in the month of September 2014.
The Court, on earlier occasions, after hearing the parties passed a number of directions from time to time, highlighting the need for an immediate requirement of the demarcation of Wildlife Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, Conservation Reserves and Wet Land Reserves as concomitant steps towards the main aim of preventing floods.
The attention of the court was drawn to the order passed on 18.08.2017, whereby, it directed the concerned authorities to immediately carry out demarcation of the National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and the Wetland Reserves.
In this regard, the Amicus Curiae had submitted that an important National Park ‘Kazinag National Park’ located in north Kashmir, Uri, Baramulla District along with two Wildlife Sanctuaries, namely, Limber Wildlife Sanctuary and Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuaries as well as Naganari Conservation Reserve seem to have been, inadvertently, left out in the status report, which would also require proper demarcation. It is further submitted by him that in spite of the order passed by this Court on 18.08.2017, nothing apparent has been done for demarcation of the locations mentioned in the order.
The court in the said order had directed that the Commissioner-Secretary to Government, Forest Department, shall be the nodal authority to ensure that the demarcation is carried out by all the agencies.
The court had further directed that the demarcation be carried out using the latest GIS technology so that we are clear as to what is supposed to be the area covered by each of the National, Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, conservation Reserves and Wetland Reserves and what exists in reality and no further construction activity shall be carried out in any of these areas and there shall be a total ban, which is the requirement of law.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
