Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 24 : High Court has sought information from the Wular Conservation and Management Authority (WUCMA) about sanctioned staff strength for the conservation of Wullar lake and removal of encroachments.
The Public Interest Litigation is with regard to conservation and management of the Wular Lake and on previous date the court had noted that about 640 Kanals of Wular lake has been encroached upon and they are required to be removed.
It was recorded that the Union Government has pumped in Rs 200 crores for conservation and management of the Wular lake and, therefore, the respondents (WUCMA) were asked to inform the court the manner in which it proposes to spent the amount for the conservation and management of the lake.
In response to these direction, an action taken report was filed by the Chief Executive Director, (WUCMA). The said report states that the Wular Lake has been fully demarcated with geo-tagged and concrete boundary pillars have been fixed all over the periphery of the Lake.
It further states that the net area of the Wular Lake at present is 130 Square Kilometers and that 642 Kanals 01 Marla of land was encroached upon and out of the said encroached land about 261 kanals 10 marlas have been retrieved and that the authority is in the process of retrieving the balance of 380 kanals 11 marlas.
“In the meantime, WUCMA counsel, may file a further report clearly showing the sanctioned strength of the staff of the Wular Conservation and Management Authority and number of persons employed to show that the authority is really interested in taking effective steps for conservation and preservation of the Wular lake”, Division Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice V C Koul directed.
Court after perusal of the report of the Chief Executive Director-WUCMA said, he has not specified as to the time frame within which the remaining encroachments shall be removed.
“We direct the authority to come clean with the time schedule within which the remaining encroachments shall be removed and lake would be made encroachment free”, DB directed.
With regard to Rs. 200 crores, which have been provided for the conservation and management of the Wular Lake, court has been informed that according to the Wular Action Plan, about 124.825 crores have already been spent on survey & demarcation, catchment area treatment, water management, biodiversity conservation, ecotourism development and institutional development.
The Amicus Curiae however disputed the said fact and submitted that under certain heads nothing has been done by the respondents so far, as such, there is no question of spending any money under these heads.
He further added that there are about 33 villages around the said lake and that the authority has not taken any steps to ensure that no garbage from all the said villages is dumped into the lake area.
He also submitted that despite huge amount of Rs. 200 crores having been provided by the Central Government, the authority has not engaged full time officials/ officers for the conservation and preservation of the lake.
“We permit the Amicus Curiae to file his objections or response to the aforesaid action taken report and put forth his suggestions separately for the improvement of the lake”, DB said.
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