Srinagar, July 23: The government has filed an Action Taken Report (ATR) in the High Court with regard to setting up of dumping ground for the garbage generated from north Kashmir’s Sopore town.
Senior Additional Advocate General B A Dar presented the report before the division bench of Chief justice Pankaj Mithal and Sanjy Dhar.
The bench was hearing a Public Interest litigation filed by Central Auqaf Committee Tarzoo, Sopore through lawyer Shafqat Nazir seeking directions for banning dumping of solid waste on the banks of Wular Lake and identification of alternate place for disposal of the waste.
The court directed the senior AAG to provide a hard copy of the report to the petitioner’s counsel within three days, who, it said may file response to the report within a week, if any.
A copy of the report, the court said, may also be sent to the Secretary, District Legal Services Authority ((DLSA), Baramulla, who may also submit his response to the report particularly with regard to the suitability of the site identified for setting up of Solid Waste Management Facility.
The court also said that the counsel representing the Union Ministry of Environment may also file a response to the report, if any. Notably, during a court visit, the division bench had already prohibited the dumping of the solid waste on the banks of Wular Lake near Tarzoo.
In February this year, the High Court had directed the committee headed by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla to report on whether the three spots for dumping of garbage suggested by DLSA Baramulla were appropriate places for scientific disposal of solid waste generated in Sopore town.