Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 29: High Court directed the authorities to apprise the court about the progress of Wular lake with regard to removal of encroachments and its allied issues by next date of hearing.
The authorities have failed to submit a detailed affidavit in this regard despite various directions passed by the court and the court reprimanded the Wular Conservation Management Authority (WUCMA) to remain silent with regard to compliance of court orders.
After hearing the Sr. AAG Mohsin Qadri in the matter, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal deferred the hearing of the case and granted liberty to Government counsel to submit a detailed affidavit in this regard.
The bench was hearing a PIL titled Kashmir Environmental Protection Coordination Organisation, Bandipora through its chairman for the protection of the Wular lake and for the removal of all hutments and encroachment within the catchment area in and around the said lake.
The earlier order of the court enumerates the issues to be taken up in this petition vis-à-vis De-weeding in Wular-Mansbal lakes, removal of encroachment on the banks of lakes, Conservation and development of Wular-Mansbal lakes, Creation and deputation of staff under land management wing, Formulation of Integrated Development Plan, Master Plan and determination of jurisdiction of Wular-Mansbal Authority; and Conservation and development of Wular-Mansbal lakes.
Apart from the Chief Executive Director, Wular Conservation and Management Authority, the Union of India through Ministry of Finance, New Delhi and Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi have also been made parties in the PIL.
As per the report it has been stated that 640 kanals of Wular lake have been encroached upon illegally. At the same time it has also been reported that Rs. 200 crore have been provided for the conservation and management of Wular lake.
The court earlier called upon the authorities at the helm of affairs to submit an action-taken-report as to how 640 kanals of land have been encroached upon and as to what action the authorities have taken against such encroachments.
The authorities were also directed to inform the manner in which this Rs 200 crore provided is sought to be spent for the conservation and management of the Wular lake.
“…no garbage from any village situated on the banks of the Wular lake is dumped into the lake area. Further it is made clear that henceforth this PIL will remain confined to the conservation, management and development of the Wular lake”, reads the earlier direction passed by the bench.
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