The High Court on Thursday asked the government to examine the commercial viability and possibility of the utilisation of “Myriophyllum Spicatum” – the weed that grows extensively in the Dal Lake.
Issuing directions in a Public Interest Litigation on preservation of Dal Lake, a division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sanjeev Kumar asked the Chief Secretary to look into the observations made by the Committee of Experts.
In its report the Committee of Experts has said that NIPER Hyderabad has come up with an innovative proposal of ‘waste to wealth’ to use Myriophyllum Spicatum for extraction of Gallic Acid used in the pharmaceutical industry, in the manufacture of preservatives and in cosmetics. The Committee of Experts has asked Director General of NIPER to take the idea forward.
Meanwhile the bench expressed its dismay over not filing the Action Taken Report by the government with regard to the suggestions made by the Committee of Experts.
State’s senior additional advocate general B A Dar however submitted that the Chief Secretary would examine the matter and take action in terms of the recommendations and suggestions of the Committee of Experts. He assured the court that Action Taken Report shall be filed positively within three weeks.
The report of the expert committee also indicated that departments of LAWDA, State Pollution Control Board, Revenue Authorities, Department of Agriculture and Horticulture besides the Department of Tourism were required to take action upon the recommendations of the Committee of Experts.
The Court directed the Secretaries or the Heads of all the Authorities to ensure prompt cooperation and action in response to any suggestion or direction made by the Committee of Experts.
The Court also directed the Revenue Authorities to take immediate action for identifying the land for rehabilitation of the floating gardens. They have been directed to communicate the same to the Vice-Chairman LAWDA as well as Committee of Experts within two weeks.
“This is essential to enable the allotments and commencement of farming at the relocation sites by the persons who have to be moved”.
The court also directed the Committee of Experts to ensure that the authorities place a comprehensive plan before it for rehabilitation of all the persons who have to be rehabilitated.
“Provisions of all necessary facilities at the rehabilitation site would also be undertaken. The proposal for relocation shall be placed before the end of this month so that the Committee of Experts can examine the same and visit the proposed site in its forthcoming visit,” court said.