Environment Archives | Page 42 of 45

Post floods, people raise commercial structures on residential permits

October 17, 2015 Editor

40% of applicants deceived authorities: SMC official In the aftermath of last year’s floods, many commercial structures have cropped up in Srinagar in violation of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) building permissions. The violators have constructed commercial structures on sites where permission was given for residential structures. For instance, a three-storey commercial building is coming up near National School, Karan Nagar where Mohammad Shafi Shah son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Shah was granted a residential building permission. “The permission is purely for residential purposes and (there should be) no change in…

‘Green Kashmir Initiative’ launched from Sonamarg

October 15, 2015 Editor

A group of young tour operators today kick-started ‘Clean Sonamarg Drive’ as part of Green Kashmir Initiative for protecting the fragile ecology of tourist spots in Kashmir Valley. The Green Kashmir Initiative under the banner Kashmir Eco Tourism Club (KETC) was launched from Sonamarg by Shabir Hussain, CEO – Sonamarg Development Authority. Riyaz Ahmad & Saleem Wanchu, General Managers of JKTDC were present, a statement here said. Later, the members of Green Initiative drive visited all the shopkeepers and distributed cloth bags among them to prevent use of polythene. Besides,…

Residential areas in Srinagar turning into commercial hubs

October 14, 2015 Editor

Rampant construction in the aftermath of floods is fast turning residential areas in Srinagar into commercial hubs even as officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation maintained that action would be taken against the violators once the revised Master Plan was approved by the Cabinet. There has been widespread construction of unplanned colonies in many parts of the summer capital in violation of the Srinagar Master Plan. Residents alleged rampant construction of shopping malls and other commercial buildings in the flood-hit localities of the city. They said the Srinagar Master Plan…

In 20 yrs, Rs 25.15 cr spent to clean Dal

October 13, 2015 Editor

The state government has spent Rs 25.15 crore in the past nearly two decades to purchase machines to clean the Dal Lake, the prime tourist attraction in the city. The machines that have been purchased to clean the lake since 1997 include two sewer cleaning machines, two multipurpose lake cleaning machines, two weed harvesters and two cutter-suction dredgers. The machines have been purchased for Rs 25.15 crore, according to official documents. The Dal Lake has suffered immensely due to pollution, silt and weed generated from multiple sources and a massive…

Climate change fallout major challenge: Governor

October 13, 2015 Editor

Opens science congress, stresses useful linkages Governor NN Vohra inaugurated the 11th Jammu and Kashmir Science Congress with the theme of “Social, Scientific and Economic Dimensions of Climate Change” at the University of Kashmir here today. Scientists and research scholars from a number of universities from within the state and various parts of the country would discussing the consequences of climate change during the three-day congress. In his inaugural address, the Governor, who is also Chancellor of the university, welcomed the participants and observed that holding an annual science congress…

A critical note on the status of Hangul (Kashmir Deer)

October 12, 2015 Editor

Over View: Of the twenty member family, Kashmir Deer (Hangul) is the only asiatic survivor of this genus, since Shou or Sikkim stag is believed to have vanished from eastern Himalayas in Cumby valley of Sikkim, adjacent valleys of Bhutan and south eastern Nepal. Hangul being endemic to Jammu & Kashmir of a very poor population status was designated as State Animal in 1980’s to focus the attention of national and international organisations for its conservation. The deer once widely distributed in moist temperate forests of the state, is now…

No lesson learnt after devastating earthquake, guidelines remain on paper

October 8, 2015 Editor

Ten years after the devastating earthquake, J&K has learnt no lesson as far as construction of quake-resistant buildings and structures is concerned. Following the deadly earthquake, most safety norms have been flouted not only by the government but the general public as well. Experts feel that most of the buildings in Kashmir may not withstand a high-magnitude quake like the one that hit Nepal recently, more particularly because Kashmir, including Srinagar, falls in Zone 5 or very severe intensity seismic zone. Following the 2005 quake, building bylaws were amended, making…

Politicians, Bureaucrats turn ‘Encroachers’ in City

October 7, 2015 Editor

Govt in no mood to retrieve 295 kanals encroached land With every passing day, encroachment is engulfing many areas in Srinagar City and its outskirts in a rapid speed and government seems to have employed the policy of ‘forget and forgive’ to these land encroachers. In last year December, when District administration demolished the boundary wall of the house of former Congress Minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed and retrieved 30 marlas of grazing land (Kah-charie) in Humhama which he had illegally grabbed, it was taken as harbinger of redeeming ‘encroached lands’…

Government ‘turns a blind eye’ to illegal colonies on river banks

October 7, 2015 Editor

The revelation by the government in the Legislative Assembly about recovery of 925 kanals of land from encroachers along the Tawi in Jammu is good news for people, but the government has “actually” turned a blind eye to illegal colonies which have mushroomed in the past 10 years with “land sharks” on prowl to grab any open space. Most of the colonies have been constructed without following any norms, while civic bodies, especially the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), has turned a blind eye to all these constructions. The government has…

HC hints at stern action against officials abetting Jhelum encroachment

October 5, 2015 Editor

Seeks list of engineers who were posted in areas through which the river flows The Jammu and Kashmir high court has sought list of officers guilty of abetting encroachment of river Jhelum, hinting at taking action against them. The division bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar sought report from Commissioner Secretary of Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC) about particulars of all the Engineers from rank of Chief Engineers to Junior Engineers who remained posted in the areas through which river Jhelum flows. The Bench…