Category: Environment

Environment

Weeds take sheen off Dal lake vital basin

Editor

Unbridled growth of weeds particularly in vital Hazrat bal basin of Dal lake is taking heavy toll on the fragile ecosystem of the water body. Dal receives waters into its Hazratbal basin from Marsar, a glacial oligotrophic alpine lake through two main sub-watersheds namely DharaDanihama and Dachigam. Before reaching the lake, the waters pass through denuded mountains carrying tons of silt and nutrients with it— propelling growth of weeds. In absence of sustained de-weeding by Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), a large expanse of Hazratbal basin overlooking the Foreshore…

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Construction work goes on in Pahalgam

Editor

Even as the locals continue to struggle to get permission for minor repairs of their houses, the rich and influential continue with major renovations of their commercial structures in this South Kashmir tourist resort. The authorities, however, have been maintaining that only those structures are been given permission, which have prior court orders. Officials, on the other hand contest their claims revealing that most of the structures that are getting renovated had come up in violation of building permission norms set by Building and Operation Control Authority (BOCA). “One of…

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BJP minister gets HC notice for forest land grab

Editor

Jammu DC directed to help Vigilance demarcate land in 10 days In a significant order, a division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice BS Walia, today issued a notice to BJP minister Abdul Gani Kohli to clear his position regarding the allegation of forestland grab against him. The Division Bench directed the Jammu Deputy Commissioner to cooperate with the Forest Department and execute demarcation of the encroached land within 10 days. This significant order has political ramifications because opposition parties have…

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Hospitals litter deadly waste in the open

Editor

50% hospitals fail to comply with Bio-Medical Waste Management & Handling rules State Pollution Control Board (PCB) has exposed the grave negligence of health department while dealing with the bio-medical waste in hospitals. According to an official report untreated and neglected medical waste is posing a serious threat to people of contracting deadly diseases in the absence of proper management. However, health authorities plead helplessness, saying shortage of funds hampered cleaning of the bio-medical waste. Health institutions are littered with used syringes, needles, plastic items, surgical bandages, unused medicine and…

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Committee set up to preserve Dal Lake

Editor

The state government today constituted a high-level monitoring committee for the preservation and protection of the Dal Lake in Srinagar. The committee has been assigned the task to devise a permanent mechanism for preserving and protecting the lake. It would monitor and oversee the implementation of this mechanism. The 11-member committee comprises Chief Secretary, J&K, as its chairman, Financial Commissioner, Planning and Development Department, Director General of Police (DGP), J&K, Principal Secretary, Forest Department, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, commissioner/secretaries of housing and urban development, finance and law, justice and parliamentary affairs…

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Unscientific disposal of solid waste continues unabated

Editor

At a time when the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has started highlighting its achievements under the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, its policies on dumping solid waste will create an environmental disaster for 15 lakh inhabitants of the winter capital. Everyday, half a dozen bulldozers dig trenches along the banks of the Tawi to dispose tonnes of waste, including toxic substances, generated in the city. The river banks at Bhagwati nagar have traditionally been used as dumping sites for solid waste, but in the past few years, waste is being scattered along…

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BRO vandalizes forests under garb of road widening in Bandipora

Editor

Border Roads Organization (BRO) has been vandalising forest areas in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district for past several months under the pretext of road widening, with forest department in deep slumber. BRO is undertaking the road widening of 84 kilometre Bandipora-Gurez road through the forest areas of Bandipora and Gurez range rich with forest habitation including prized Deodar, Kail and Fir trees. Locals and eyewitnesses said that BRO was felling trees from the forest area that too a regenerative forest area in broad day light as forest department has failed to…

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‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning for Jammu and Kashmir

Editor

A ‘medium danger’ avalanche warning was issued for higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir, advising people not to venture in these areas over the next 24 hours. An advisory to this effect was issued today by Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment ( SASE), which comes under the Ministry of Defence, here. ‘Medium danger’ avalanche warning exists for avalanche prone areas above 3500 metres altitude of Kupwara, Ganderbal, Baramula and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the advisory said.

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Dal Lake Conservation Case

Editor

Expressing displeasure over absence of top officers including Chief Secretary in Dal Lake conservation case, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Wednesday observed that all the constitutional, statutory and administrative authorities are “servants of laws.” “The court would have initiated action in accordance with law against these authorities but in view of the request by Senior Additional Advocate General N A Beigh, we defer at this stage initiation of proceedings against them,” a bench of Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey observed. Hearing a Public interest…

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HC disappointed, says 14 years on, desired results yet to be realised for preservation of Dal Lake

Editor

Demonstrating its disappointment, the J&K High Court on Thursday observed that despite issuing directions aimed at preservation of the Dal Lake and other water bodies for the last 14 years, “desired results” had not been “concretised till date”. The court, in an effort to put in place a “permanent mechanism” for the preservation of water bodies, including the Dal, and “settle the matter”, sought the presence of Chief Secretary and Commissioner Secretaries of Tourism, Housing, Urban Development, Finance and Planning Departments on the next hearing. The directions were issued by…

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