Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 31: A report on Dal lake sought by Jammu and Kashmir High Court has painted a grim picture of the lake with massive constructions going on and authorities acting as mute spectators and lying to the Court.
And Court has sought response from authorities to the report in which worst condition of the Lake has been put before it despite hundreds of orders passed by the court for its preservation and protection.
The detailed report has been filed by Advocate Sajad Ahmad Mir, who, in terms of previous order, was appointed as assisting Amicus Curie to the PIL and has conducted a survey and visit in and around the lake so as to give the correct picture to the Court.
Court has taken the report on record and directed the authorities to respond this by next date of hearing. The report says more than 25 constructions are actively going on and countless constructions were already completed which are in a very shabby manner.
It is also mentioned in the report that the shoreline is alarmingly preceding due to encroachments on its periphery and also within the lake itself. “….From Nishat to Rainawari, there is a macadamized road with all civic amenities available to the residents and, as such, the heart of the Dal lake, as there is nothing left literally to do anything with that portion of the lake as the area being the part of lake has all the amenities of life like colony which is well built and well planned by the various Governments from time to time”, read the report.
The report said that the authorities, without any iota of doubt, have been showing wrong picture to all including the Court. About the pollution, it is said, that entry of untreated sewage and solid waste from the peripheral areas and hamlets and houseboats inside lake, clogging of water channels with the lake as it has led to reduced water circulation, reduction of fresh water flow into the lake and excessive weed growth due to nutrient rich water, increased number of human settlements in and around the lake.
“The problem seems to be endless and on every front there seems to be element of huge and huge corruption involved for deteriorating the lake. Its for last 15 years this Court is trying its level best to restore the glory of the lakes not only Dal lake but the other lakes as well but unfortunately due to official apathy what is being reported to this Court seems to be far from truth and reality which is not only contemptuous but illegal and improper too”, the report said.
It is also said that number of constructions that were demolished by the authorities to have been rebuilt from the same material with additional new material. “How the hotels and guesthouses are running when on papers they are demolished buildings”, the report read.
About the sealing structures, court has been informed that on ground nothing seems to be so as some half-heartedly sealed buildings seemed to be sealed from outside which is just an eye wash.
It is also said that police has filed number of challans against the violators and have seized number of trucks carrying the building material illegally yet a huge construction material having notice to have been carried in and around the lake. The CCTV cameras installed on the directions of the court seems to be not working at all as none till date have seen any of the recordings if any of any road leading towards the lake.
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