Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 1: High Court has directed the amicus curiae to submit his suggestions to the Action Taken Report (ATR) of Government on preservation, conservation and beautification of Wular Lake.
The division bench of Justice Rajnesh Oswal and Justice Mohan Lal directed the amicus to the PIL to go through the ATR submitted by the Advocate General previously and make his additional suggestion for conservation of the lake. These suggestions have been sought in view of the visit of the amicus to the lake on the directions of the court.
The Advocate General has also filed an ATR with regard to the progress of various works on the lake and the same was provided to amicus curiae for submitting his additional suggestions with regard to protection of the lake.
The PIL ‘Kashmir Environmental Protection Coordination Organisation, Bandipora’ has been filed 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 lake.
Other issues related to the PIL are 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.
The Chief Executive Director, Wullar Conservation and Management Authority, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, were added as party respondents respectively. Giving the reference of some news reports, the amicus stated that 640 kanals of Wular lake have been encroached upon illegally and at the same time it has also been reported that Rs. 200 crore have been provided for the conservation and management of Wular lake.
Court in view of these reports called upon the respondents 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 respondents shall also inform the manner in which this Rs. 200 crore provided is sought to be spent for the conservation and management of the Wular lake. The action-taken-report be submitted within three weeks”, reads the court direction.
Authorities are also under direction that no garbage from any village situated on the banks of the Wular lake is dumped into the lake area.
Follow our WhatsApp channel