The High Court on Tuesday asked the government to furnish information about the proposed bylaws on solid waste management at tourist resorts in the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Alok Aradhe sought the information after being informed that the bylaws have been drafted and sent to law department for approval.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation seeking preservation of Pahalgam health resort, the court also directed the government to activate online building permission system within three months.
On October 24 last year, the High Court had directed the Pahalgam Development Authority and the State Pollution Control Board to consult with each other and prepare an action plan on solid waste management and sewage treatment for Pahalgam keeping in view the Environment Protection Act 1986 and Sewage Waste Management Rules 2016.
A report by the government reveals that there is an annual waste generation of 6742.56 metric tons per year in Pahalgam and during the peak tourist season, 80.48 metric tons of waste is generated per day.
In 2008, the Pahalgam People’s Welfre Organisation had approached the court, seeking moratorium on constructions at the resort for two years. In 2011, the organisation approached the court again against the Master Plan for Pahalgam on the grounds that it was fraud. The court subsequently quashed the Master Plan.
Subsequently, the court imposed a complete ban on the constructions at Pahalgam after it was informed that structures have been built illegally in the green belt, forest and wildlife zones of Pahalgam and on either side of Lidder River.
In its order of 17 July 2013, the court had clarified the authorities could demolish, without any procedural difficulties, any construction with the 200-metre radius on either side of Lidder.
Parvaiz Imroz, counsel for the petitioner, had last year submitted before the court that the authorities had not acted against illegal structures as politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen have set up structures in no-construction zones of Pahalgam illegally.