Category: Environment

Environment

National Green Tribunal annoyed over delay in waste-to-energy plant at Achan

Editor

The delay in commissioning of Jammu and Kashmir’s first waste-to-energy plant in Srinagar has miffed the National Green Tribunal which has warned the state government of slapping an exemplary cost for taking “unjustifiable” adjournments in the matter. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the plant at Achan was of great public importance as the city was generating a huge quantity of municipal waste–about 450 metric tonnes per day. The green panel remarked that if urgent steps were not taken to set up the plant, then the…

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High Court directs BOCA to give comments on EIA of Sonamarg Master Plan

Editor

The High Court on Tuesday directed Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) of Sonamarg to expeditiously give its comments on draft report of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Sonamarg Master Plan (2017) and submit the same within two weeks to the concerned authority. A division bench of Chief justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey directed the BOCA to give its comments on the draft report after it was informed that the report has been placed before the authority for its comments. The court ordered that the matter be…

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Authorities direct for closure of 51 Brick kilns around Srinagar Airport

Editor

Acting on the directions of High Court regarding relocation of Brick Kiln located around Srinagar Airport, authorities today directed for closure of 51 brick kilns around it. “In adhering the Court’s direction regarding relocation of Brick Kiln located around the Airport, so that the visibility particularly during October and November could be increased, the deputy commissioner Budgam in exercise of the powers vested under him in terms of Section 26 of J&K Brick Kiln (Regulation) Act.2010 has ordered the close down of kiln activities of 51 brick kiln owners, 34…

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Army’s Warfare School coming up without permission in Sonamarg

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Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday informed the High Court that a High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) is being set up by Army without permission in tourist resort Sonamarg even as the Court directed the Army to produce the permission documents before it on September 11. While chief executive officer Sonamarg Development Authority told a division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey that the Army is raising constriction of HAWS unauthorisedly and without permission from BOCA at Neelgrath in Sonamarg, assistant solicitor general Tahir…

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Make Dal Lake’s surface visible: High Court to Authorities

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Seeking a report indicating the progress in the removal of water lilies from the Dal Lake, the J&K High Court has directed the authorities concerned to continue the process of weeding so that the lake surface is clearly visible. Earlier on August 13, the High Court had given the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) three months to take out lilies from the lake. The court is hearing a public interest litigation on the conservation and preservation of the Dal Lake and the adjoining Nigeen Lake. The court during the…

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Ministerial panel to verify Chinese firm’s credentials for Wular Dredging

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A ministerial panel of the J&K government on Tuesday decided to verify the credentials of a Chinese company, which is part of the joint venture emerging as the lone contender for the multi-crore Wular Lake dredging project. A source told Kashmir Post that the panel, which met here this afternoon, decided to do the background check of the China-based Hubei Hongyan Engineering Company Limited before taking a final call on awarding the contract. “The panel might even ask the state government to write to the Chinese embassy in New Delhi…

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Seven Minister panel constituted to save Wular lake: Govt

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The state government today constituted a group of seven senior Cabinet ministers to examine the proposal regarding accord of administrative approval for execution of work for dredging and strengthening embankments of the Wular Lake. The constitution of group of ministers followed the decision of a Cabinet meeting held on August 9. The state’s Forest, Ecology and Environment Department had submitted a proposal to the Cabinet seeking accord of administrative approval and acceptance of the single tender for execution of work for dredging and strengthening embankments of the Wular Lake, which…

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Review detects ambiguity in land use structure in Srinagar Master Plan

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The land use structure envisaged in the Srinagar draft Master Plan (2015-35) is incomplete as the proposal to put more than 64 percent of developed land under residential use is a “serious policy imperfection flaw”, states an expert review. These observations have been made in a technical and analytical review of the Draft Master Plan submitted to Srinagar Development Authority by Hamid Ahmad Wani, professional Urban planner and former chief town planner,Jammu Development Authority. According to the review, a metro city with a land use pattern having more than 64…

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Govt transfers forest land to businessman in Pahalgam

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At a time the judiciary has gone tough on illegal constructions in eco-sensitive zones, the J&K Government has allotted forest land to a businessman for constructing a hotel in Pahalgam. Officials said the Forest Department has given no objection certificate (NOC) to a hotelier for construction on the forest land at the Ganeshbal locality in Lidder Forest Division in Pahalgam. “Nearly 6 kanals of forest land in compartment 34 and 35 of Lidder forest division have been transferred to a businessman for the construction of a hotel,” a senior forest…

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Failure to dredge Jhelum on scientific lines puts Kashmir at risk: Caution experts

Editor

Experts Tuesday cautioned that dredging project has not helped to address the problem of floods in any way and Kashmir stands at same stage where it had been post 2014 devastating floods. They termed the dredging of Jhelum as “ill conceived project” and warned of consequences if immediate measures were not taken to correct the things. “Dredging, the project of utter importance didn’t get the desired results. The incompetence of authorities to execute the project has added woes of a common man who is yet to come out of the…

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