HC seeks compliance report on solid waste management

Disapproving of the government’s inertia to finalise the action plan for solid waste management in Jammu and Kashmir, the High Court Friday ordered commissioner-secretary housing and urban development department (H&UDD) to present himself in court on April 5 and bring along the compliance report.       

Pointing out that despite frequent assurances for taking effective steps towards finalisation of the action plan, a division bench of Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey and Justice Sanjeev Kumar said no compliance has been filed by the H&UDD.     

   

On 29 October last year, state’s senior additional advocate general BA Dar, on behalf of the H&UDD, had informed the court that the chief secretary had convened a meeting of concerned officers wherein it was decided to ask the secretary tourism department to place the action plan regarding the solid waste management before the committee.

Following this, Dar had said the action plan would be put in public domain for inviting suggestions and comments from the public by 4 November 2018.

Citing the submission by the senior AAG before court on 1 December 2018 that the draft action plan had been put in public domain and some time was required to do the needful, the court said the department has not filed a compliance report.

Meanwhile, the court directed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to file the status report on mass awareness programme about solid waste management. 

Following the submission of assistant solicitor general Tahir Shamsi, the court granted the government of India four weeks as last opportunity to file the status report with regard to allocation and release of funds to Jammu and Kashmir for the purpose of solid waste management. 

The Court was hearing two public interest Litigations—one related to suo moto on Sonamarg environs and the other by Environment Policy Group (EPG) seeking directions for solid waste management in J&K. 

Advocate Shafaqat Nazir made submissions on behalf of EPG and additional advocate general MA Chashoo represented the government.

Meanwhile, the court directed commissioner secretary tourism department to take effective steps with regard to the comprehensive Environment Impact Assessment Report related to Sonamarg and submit the same to the chief town planner Kashmir for enabling him to take steps to revisit the Master Plan for Sonamarg.

The direction followed after advocate Nadeem Qadri as amicus curiae invited the attention of  the court to order dated 13 December 2017, whereby Sonamarg Development Authority was directed  to revisit the Master Plan for Sonamarg.

The Court had asked the Chief Town Planner, Kashmir, to take effective steps for preparation of the Master Plan in tune with the observations made by the court.

SA Raina, chief executive officer SDA submitted before the court that much progress has been made in the matter of revisiting the Master Plan of Sonamarg and that the Environment Impact Assessment Report has been finalised.

“The report is being forwarded to the Chief Town Planner for revisiting the Master Plan in tune with the directions passed by this Court from time to time,” he said.

The court meanwhile permitted the SDA to operate five environmental-friendly Battery-Operated vehicles in the Thajiwas Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent areas.

The authority had moved an application through MA Chashoo seeking permission for the same.  

“There is a need of providing environmental-friendly Battery-Operated vehicles from main gate near Highway to the Thajiwas Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent areas for the tourists which does not, in any way, disturb the environment or ecology in the area,” the authority had pleaded.

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