*Suggests expert group to study prevailing situation
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 16: Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forests has observed that no serious attention is being paid towards ecological imbalances in Leh despite the fact that global warming was fast having its effect on this one of the most pristine and ecologically sensitive part of the country. The panel has recommended a slew of measures particularly constitution of expert group to study the prevailing situation and suggest corrective measures.
“The effects of the climate change are being felt in different parts of Leh and the prevailing situation demands that the concerned authorities should come out of the selective and myopic approach to deal with ecological imbalances in Leh”, the Panel said, adding “a comprehensive action plan is required to mitigate environmental pollution caused by various activities”.
The Panel has observed that pollution by growing number of vehicles has been affecting Leh and the ever growing number of tourists visiting the city are causing heaps of polybag and garbage all over the area. Stating that awareness among the general public is required to be increased, the Panel said, “this is imperative as Leh district has a fragile ecology and global warming is too having its effect on Leh”.
As far as bio-medical waste is concerned, Leh has four Health Care Facilities including two clinical laboratories catering to 360 beds and generating 240 kilograms of bio-medical waste per day. “No Common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility exists in Leh and out of the 240 kilograms per day bio-medical waste generated, 50 kilograms is incinerable, 40 kilograms is recyclable and 150 kilograms is disposed via secured landfill. Only one on-site incinerator of capacity 25 kilograms per hour is available for waste treatment”, the Panel said in its report tabled in Parliament in the just concluded session.
Regarding Municipal Solid Waste, the Panel said, “though for the collection of municipal solid waste, door to door collection mechanism is in place but segregation of waste is not carried out”, adding “the recyclable segment of waste is collected manually by rag-pickers and both the bio-degradable and non bio-degradable waste are stored in a single bin”.
The Panel has noted with serious concern that although Leh District Master Plan 2009 had earmarked a land approximately 28 kilometers from Leh for setting up of sanitary landfill site, no serious step has been initiated to give practical shape to the same. “Out of 23 stone crushers operating in Leh, eight have been granted permission by the Pollution Control Board while notices were served to 13 operating illegally and closure order had been issued against only two”, the Panel regretted, adding “under Air Quality Monitoring Programme, three stations for Leh viz Leh, Zanskar and Nubra had been sanctioned but the same have not been made operational”.
To mitigate the environmental pollution of Leh, the Parliamentary Panel has recommended that State Government should constitute an expert group to study ways and means to reconcile the growth of tourism in the district with imperatives of preserving the ecology. “Concerned municipal agencies must ensure that solid waste is disposed off in an environmentally friendly manner”, the Panel said.
It has recommended action on war footing basis for setting up of a sanitary landfill for disposal of municipal solid waste for which Leh District Master Plan 2009 had earmarked a land about 28 kilometers from Leh. Moreover, it has stressed that three stations under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme for Leh should be made operational at the earliest.
“The proposal for monitoring of water pollution by six new stations at Leh Nullah, Indus River, Pangong Lake, Tsomoriri Lake, Niddar Nullah and Hunder Tokpo should be taken up by the State Pollution Control Board on priority basis and decision should be conveyed to the Leh District Administration”, the Parliamentary Panel said.
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