Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 9: Reprimanding State Government on increasing water pollution in the State, the Committee on Environment of State Assembly has urged it to constitute a Committee comprising of the representatives of Health, Industries & Commerce, Agriculture Production, PHE, Pollution Control Board and Environment & Ecology Departments for detailed study and suggestion of measures to control the same.
In its annual report for the year, 2013-14, the Committee said that constitution of such a Committee has become necessary to save the precious water resources in the State for providing safe drinking water to the people.
In this regard the Committee Chairman has also written a letter to Chief Secretary of the State recently.
The Environment Committee expressed concern over the increasing pollution on account of sewerage, fertilizers runoff from the agricultural fields, besides the industrial discharges. This is posing a grave threat to the very existence of rivers, lakes and other water bodies in the State, the letter added.
The letter said being the part of portable drinking water to the people, it is a matter of grave concern before every responsible citizen of the State.
While taking serious exception to lack of measures for containing the increasing water pollution in the State, the Committee made it clear in its letter to Chief Secretary that it can’t be a mute spectator in this regard and hence is under a great obligation to suggest ways and means of keeping the water bodies pollution free in the State.
The Committee said the departments concerned are also under obligation to initiate measures to check the menace of water pollution. Blaming these departments of their total failure in taking all the concerned on board, the Committee stressed on coordination among all such departments.
The Committee in its report also urged the Social Forestry Department being the key figure in safeguarding environment to find out a suitable solution to the problem of seed shed menace of poplar trees in Kashmir Valley. Not satisfied with the decision of banning the trees within Srinagar city, the Committee observed that the problem is in entire Kashmir Valley. It further suggested that before raising any nursery, the NOC from Social Forestry Department should be made mandatory.
The Committee also urged the Government to ensure that the water of Vaisho and other nallahs in Kulgam district should not get polluted by dumping of garbage and improper sewerage, drainage system.
The Committee also observed that the State was lagging behind in various areas especially in prioritizing the most important developmental projects and drafting of DPRs for garbage disposal. It impressed upon the departments to expedite the formation of the same to ensure the fund flow under various centrally sponsored schemes.
On protecting the environment from pollution due to garbage dumping and other hazards, the Committee suggested that all the Deputy Commissioners in the State should act as nodal officers for safeguarding the environment at all levels, district administration should constitute the expert environmental Committees at district, block level to assist the DCs in the process of safeguarding and protection of environment, organize awareness programmes and seminars involving the environmental experts, PRIs besides the senior citizens to create awareness regarding the environmental protection among the people.
It suggested that while carrying out the developmental activities in the districts, the environmental concerns should be taken care of and stressed on total ban on use of polythene.
The Committee, while reprimanding the Pollution Control Board urged it to take its responsibilities seriously being the watch dog of the environmental protection in the State.
The PCB was also taken to task by the Committee for violations in Kishan Ganga Project and took serious exception to the arguments of the PCB authorities that people were taking refuge under the pretext of getting the employment. It blamed the authorities of the project for even not taking safety measures for workers in the Project.
Stressing on a afforestation in the Kishan Ganga area the Committee expressed its displeasure over the lackness of the Department in this regard and impressed upon it to expedite the approval as it was deeply concerned with the environmental issues.
The Committee, while expressing its concern over the vehicular exhaust emission observed that the same was responsible for polluting the environment and has become a global concern as the ever increasing vehicular density creates an adverse impact in urban as well as rural areas and most prominently in cities of Jammu and Srinagar.
It further observed that the problem gets aggravated by plying of older vehicles despite the ban imposed by State High Court. Moreover, the problem of adulterated fuel which is also posing the environmental pollution has not been addressed by the concerned agencies, the Committee added.
The Committee also urged the Pollution Control Board to conduct the test of Mansar and Surinsar lakes and submit its report immediately.
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