Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 22 : High Court has directed the authorities to inform it about the measures taken for management of Municipal Waste from the North Kashmir’s Sopore town and directed for personal appearance of Director Local Bodies (DLB) Kashmir on next date of hearing before the court.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Sanjay Dhar directed the Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir to file an affidavit by next date of hearing with regard to the steps taken for adequate cleaning of the municipal waste and garbage from the Sopore town.
The PIL has been filed by Central Auqaf Committee Tarzoo seeking immediate stoppage of dumping of municipal solid waste, biomedical waste on the land (Ramsar Wetland) contained under survey No. 90 situated at Dharnambal, Ningli Tarzoo Sopore which falls within the delineated periphery pillars of Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) and also within the limits of Hygam-Ningli-Tarzoo Tourism Development Authority. Court also directed to inform it about the disposal of garbage at some appropriate authorized place or centre.
“Besides, the Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir shall appear in person before the Court on the next date of hearing”, reads the order. Court also directed the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla to submit the report on the issue involved in the PIL as directed in terms of the earlier orders, during the course of the week.
The Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Baramulla has also been directed to ensure filing of response by the next date of hearing. It is in the month of March, 2020 Municipal council, Sopore started dumping waste in close vicinity of Wular Lake.
It is contended that the solid waste is being dumped without following the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and the whole place has been converted into a stinky swamp and are seeking a direction to the respondents to identify a proper place for dumping of municipal waste away from the residential and environmentally sensitive areas and develop the same in terms of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Petitioners urge before the court for developing the area in planned manner given its huge tourism potential while taking care of the environmental sensitivities. It is alleged that the Municipal Council Sopore has started dumping solid waste on the boundary of the Wular Lake against the Solid Waste Management Rules, resulting into converting the site in question into a stinky marsh.
The area it may be noted was earlier identified as the recreational park and has presently converted into a dumping site without seeking any permission or NOC from the Pollution Control Board or WUCMA.
The land which was being used as garbage dumping site belongs to the Forest Department, and comes under the immediate control and management of WUCMA as such it was obligatory for the Municipal Council to take prior permission from the said authorities before dumping the municipal waste on the banks of Wular Lake.
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