Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 1 : High Court today sought response from the Ministry of Environment and Climatic Change (MECC) with regard to the constitution of Wet Land Authority for conservation and protection of wetlands in the J&K and Ladakh.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sindhu Sharma while hearing Suomoto Cognizance taken by the court with regard to protection and preservation of wetlands sought response from the Secretary Ministry of Environment and Climatic Change.
The Union counsel T M Shamsi (ASGI) sought some time from the court on behalf of Secretary concerned for filing of response and the court after making request by the counsel granted month’s time to him to file the same.
The Court in a Suomoto cognizance on the instructions of Supreme Court about wetlands had issued notice to Ministry of Environment and Climatic Change through its Secretary to inform the court on the issue of constitution of Wet Land Authority.
Central Government has identified 2 lakh wet lands in the country and Supreme Court on the concern of wetlands under “Ramsar Conservation Sites” directed to all the states and UTs for new wet land rules and expressed the urgency for the management of wetlands.
It is as per the ‘Atlas Ecology and Remote Sensing’ of the J&K UT there are 1230 wet lands identified in the state under ‘Ramsar Conservation Sites’ and under Rule 5 of the concerned rules, an authority has to be in place for management of wet lands.
The Chief Secretary is under directions to appoint the nodal officer for re-establishment of networking of streams, Lakes, Wetlands with River Jehlum. For the said purpose CS was under direction to appoint any of the Commissioner Secretary as nodal officer who would in coordination with all concerned after a concrete action plan for re-establishing of network of water bodies with River Jehlum.
Forest Department has been directed to complete the demarcation of wet lands within a fixed period of three months, as he had assured the court that no further extension of time be sought in this connection.
Deputy Commissioners of district Ganderbal, Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Pulwama are already under court direction to cooperate with the Commissioner Secretary Forest for carrying out the exercise of demarcation process.
Updating of J&K Disaster Management policy which as per information has been notified was also required to be submitted before the court. Demarcation of National Parks, Wetland, and Wildlife Sanctuaries and Conservation reserves needs immediate attention as the court said and demarcation of all of these within a prescribed time given by the court.
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