The High Court has asked the chief Secretary to take a call on the letter addressed by a former judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court to it with regard to enhancing green space in Srinagar.
Former chief justice of Bihar, Justice (retd) Bilal Nazki in May 2016 had written a letter to the chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court highlighting how the city is lacking the green spaces. In 2017, the High court treated the letter as Public Interest Litigation.
Meanwhile, the Court directed advocate Faisal Qadri who assists it as amicus curie to inspect 11 parks in Srinagar city and report to court about their present status and condition.
“Perusal of the status report reveals that nothing has been done so far. This PIL has remained pending in the court without any positive outcome,” the CJ observed.
In response to the submission that Rs 64 lakh have been released for the development of parks in Srinagar, the bench observed: “Where has the money gone, when the ground reality about the Srinagar city parks stands unchanged”.
Justice Gita Mittal questioned “where is the green space and how much of the land of the Srinagar city has become green.”
Government advocate Usman Gani submitted that the government is serious about the development of parks in the state. “In the wake of court directions, the government constituted a five member steering committee headed by the chief secretary to review and monitor the progress for the development of parks in Srinagar and Jammu city”.
Subsequently at the divisional level, he said, two eight member committees were constituted with director Floricture gardens and parks Jammu as well as Kashmir as chairmen to prepare standard operating procedure for mapping of parks gardens in Jammu and Srinagar cities.
“It is surprising that Srinagar has no well equipped park for Children. We see the parks elsewhere which have every facility,” the bench observed.
Expressing dismay over the tardy approach shown by the government, the court said the directions given to MD JK Housing Board and Chief Town Planner Kashmir have not been implemented.
In September, 2017, the High Court had asked the director Gardens and Parks Kashmir to furnish details of public parks existing in the summer capital.
The Court had also asked the chief town planner to see if the public parks existing in Srinagar city are adequate as per norms of a planned city.
The court had also asked the MD JK Housing Board to submit a list of the parks maintained by it.
Taking suo-moto cognizance of lack of parks facilities in colonies and residential areas of Srinagar, the court had issued notice to commissioner secretary Tourism department, director Floriculture, secretary housing and urban development department VC, SDA Commissioner SMC and DC Srinagar.