The High Court on Monday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to respond to a Public Interest Litigation petition alleging encroachments at Verinag which is the source of river Jhelum, and the dumping of waste in the area.
After the High Court registered a letter by an NGO- GreaterVerinag Civil Society as Public Interest Litigation, division bench of ChiefJustice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar sought response to the plea byJuly 28.
The court issued notice to J&K government throughDivisional Commissioner Kashmir, Secretary to Government Tourism Department andChief Executive Officer, Verinag Development Authority.
While senior Additional Advocate General B A Dar, acceptednotice for Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and Secretary Tourism Department,Deputy Advocate General IrfanAndleep waived it for Verinag DevelopmentAuthority.
The court said copy of the communication of the NGO beprovided to both the counsels to enable them to file status reports within fourweeks.
In its letter, the Greater Verinag Civil Society has saidthat the river Jhelum from its source –Verinag- is being encroached upon andits existence is put in danger.
“In the close proximity of Verinag Garden, unnecessarystructures have been erected,” the society said.
The NGO said the local authorities are dumping the waste inthe vicinity of Verinag which is hazards to the local environment.
“There is no proper provision of drainage system with the resultthe pure and pious water of river Jhelum is being polluted,” it said.
The NGO said that Verinag is a historical place of ancientand medieval period which faces historical degeneration because many of itssites of historical importance are ignored.
The NGO pointed out the Jhelum tributaries at Verinag suchas Sandran canal has been encroached upon as a result of which there ispossibility of flood in the future.