Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 13: High Court today directed the Government to devise a mechanism for identification of zones and non-construction areas on the banks of River Lidder runs through tourist resort Pahalgam and preparing of revised Master Plan.
Hearing the PIL on protection and conservation of world famous tourist resort, the Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice D S Thakur directed the Government to work out a plan for detecting of zones and non-construction areas on the River Lidder.
In this connection, Court directed the Commissioner/Secretary to the Government, Tourism Department; Commissioner/ Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department; Chief Town Planner, Kashmir, Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority; Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag and the Director Land Records, Kashmir, for filing the updated report about the directions taken note of supra from by or before the next date of hearing.
These officials have been directed to hold the meeting with reference to survey numbers and thereafter make a copy of Revised Plan with such identification available to general public through all available sources.
The authorities have also been directed to indicate in a fresh statement of facts, as to whether any scheme for relocation of built-up areas/ hamlets existing within the Wildlife and forest Zone and rehabilitation of the people living in such areas/ hamlets is being formulated and till such scheme is notified, permissibility of repairs, reconstruction or renovation of existing building or construction of new building in such areas/ hamlets and mechanism to grant permission for construction activity.
“The fresh statement of facts shall make respondents’ stand clear as regards the status of buildings, already constructed in no construction Zone on either sides of Lidder river, Aru Nallah and Chandanwari Nallah,” the court reiterated.
During proceedings of the matter, court noticed that a Government order No320TSM of 2015 dated 11.09.2015 was issued in which sanction was accorded to the revised Master Plan Pahalgam-2032. Court said on this context the present PIL would stand concluded, but continued the proceedings to take care of the allied issues and passed the directions supra.
“Having said that the subject matter of this PIL has no longer remained confined to what has been prayed in the petition, but the scope is widened by this Court for the proper management and upliftment of the world-famous tourist destination”, read the order.
Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority and the Chief Town Planner, Kashmir, in a query of about the definite track for ponies in the revised MP submitted that there is a definite track identified for the Ponies in the Revised Master Plan and the ponny wallahs are not allowed to go beyond the said track.
Court added that the officials of PDA, however, could not convince the court in respect of any mechanism presently in place for the proper management of horse dung at the Pahalgam. The respondents sought time for not only responding to the query but also to see that any mechanism is evolved over the issue so that the image of the tourist place is not sullied. “Let the respondents file their response on the above lines also by or before the next date of hearing”, court directed.
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