NGT raps Amarnath board for lack of facilities for pilgrims

NEW DELHI: The A mar na th Shrine Board on Wednesday faced the wrath of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for not providing proper infrastructure facilities to pilgrims going to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, saying it can’t ‘deprive people of proper darshan’.

The green panel also took exception to non-compliance of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2012 and asked the board what steps have it taken in all these years.

Asking the shrine board to maintain the sanctity of the shrine, a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar put across some searing questions to them, saying,“You have allowed shops on the path near the shrine. You are giving priority to commercial activities over pilgrims. This is unfair. There are no proper facilities for toilets. Do you even know how humiliating this is for women? Why have you not provided proper infrastructural facilities for pilgrims? You can’t deprive people of proper darshan.”

COMMITTEE COMPRISES GREENEXPERTS

The green panel formed a committee of experts headed by additional secretary of ministry of environment and forests( Mo E F) to submit primary action plan on providing facilities to the pilgrims. The committee also comprises secretary of environment of Jammu and Kashmir, senior scientists from the union envi- ron men tm in is try, GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, chief executive officer (CEO) of Amarnath Shrine Board, an officer not below the rank of brigadier in Army, member secretary of the state pollution control board besides others.

The bench said the committee shall submit report on aspects like providing a proper path and declaring the cave as silent zone whilemaintaining cleanliness in area near the shrine after inspection. Th eNG Tasked the committee to consider declaring the area around the Amarnath Shrine cave as ‘silence zone’ to prevent avalanches and ensure there is prohibition on carrying of religious offerings inside the cave.