HC issues notice, seeks response within 4 weeks

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 28: In a Public Interest Litigation(PIL) filed by Ghulam Rasool Magrey seeking directions to the respondents to prevent environmental degradation due to construction of power projects in a highly seismic sensitive zone of Kishtwar, Division Bench of State High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta today issued notice to Union of India through Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Central Pollution Control Board, State through Secretary Ministry of Forest, J&K Pollution Control Board, State Power Development Corporation, Chief Conservator of Forests and Chenab Valley Power Projects Limited.
During the course of hearing, Advocate Parnav Kohli appearing for the PIL submitted that construction of power projects in Kishtwar will cause great damage to the natural wild life in thousands of hectares of land which are home to some thousand of rare species of bird and animals.
“Kishtwar valley being in the high Seismic Zone-IV, is expected to experience earthquakes of intensity of more than 8 on Richter Scale. Moreover, with the commissioning of the hydro electric power plants, the entire valley will be at greater risk of getting submerged in the water, which will cause great causality not limiting to property but human as well”, he further submitted.