Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 31: High Court today directed the Municipal Committee Sopore to immediately lift the solid waste from the bank of the water body and dump the same at the identified site.
The Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice M A Chowdhary while closing the PIL filed by residents of the area directed the authorities to adhere to all relevant rules and regulations particularly with regard to provision for preventing of degradation of environment in the Valley
“They shall also take immediate steps to lift the solid waste/biomedical waste if still dumped at Ningli and Dharnambal and shift it to the designated dumping site at Jetty, Baramulla”, DB directed.
The residents told the Court that the MC was dumping municipal solid waste and bio-medical waste on the protected wet land at Dharnambal/Ningli, Tarzoo Sopore.
The residents had complained in the PIL that dumping of the waste was not only affecting the wetland but was also contributing to the pollution of the Wular lake.
The Director, Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, in its affidavit has said that the Local Bodies have taken several steps to deal with solid waste and bio-medical waste throughout the Valley. He also pointed out that so far as the town of Sopore is concerned, the solid waste and bio-medical waste is being collected and transported to the designated dumping site at Jetty Baramulla.
Court has been informed that 60 Kanals of the land is available at Jetty for establishment of Integrated Waste Management Facility for the towns of Baramulla and Sopore. The affidavit of the Director indicates that they have stopped dumping of solid waste and biomedical waste at any place other than the identified designated dumping site at Jetty Baramulla.
“This way, the grievance of the residents of the Sopore stands redressed and the purpose for which this Public Interest Litigation was initiated stands accomplished. The counsel appearing for the residents fairly submitted that their grievance as of now is settled, but the respondents are required to be directed to comply with The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, The Wet Lands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 and all other laws aimed at protecting the environment in letter and spirit”, reads the order.
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