ISLAMABAD, Dec 13:
The Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a cement factory to fill the pond near the Katas Raj temple complex in Chakwal in a week. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar passed the order during the hearing of a suo motu case on the depletion of the pond.
The apex court also expressed shock when it got to know that idols were missing from the temples in the complex and sought an explanation from the Evacuee Trust Property Board.
The historic Katas Raj temples, built around the pond dating back to 600 AD, is believed to have been formed from the tears of Shiva after the death of his wife, Sati.
The pond is said to have depleted due to the presence of nearby cement factories which have sucked out the underground water.
The chief justice asked the Bestway Cement Factory official who gave them the right to use underground water? When asked how much water is used by the factory daily, the official answered: 80,000 gallons.
The chief justice then observed that Bestway Cement has damaged the environment of Chakwal and adjoining areas, and said that the company needs to do “whatever it takes to fill the pond”, reports Geo News.
The court then ordered the company to fill the pond within a week. (UNI)
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