HC seeks govt compliance reports on Sonamarg issue
The Sonamarg meadow and river Sindh and its banks are to be cleared of illegal constructions, the J&K High Court has directed the J&K administration in its latest order. It also directed the administration to file compliance reports on a quarterly basis in a calendar year regarding its various directions “related to safeguarding Sonamarg from illegal constructions and preserving its fragile ecology”.
Expressing concern over the slow pace of work by the administration to clear illegal constructions on both sides of river Sindh and also in and around the meadow of Sonamarg, the court asked the government to file the first compliance report on 15 January 2021, positively.
Setting the calendar for the compliance reports, Chief Justice of J&K High Court Gita Mittal in the division bench asked the J&K administration to file these reports on the due dates in the coming year.
“Such report shall be positively filed on 15 January 2021, second on 15 May 2021, third on 15 September 2021 and the fourth one on or before 30 December 2021,” said a division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta, while giving the direction to the J&K administration on this issue.
Earlier too, the J&K High Court had expressed serious concern over, “environmental degradation because of apathy on the part of stakeholders” and had asked the administration to remove the illegal constructions as soon as possible and described all these constructions as said, “large scale unauthorised constructions in Sonamarg”.
Cautioning the administration not to give permission for constructions under the garb of renovation/repairs, in previous J&K High Court direction had told them not to allow such constructions in the ecologically fragile Sonamarg and also the two banks of river Sindh which passes from Sonamarg to Ganderbal.
Asking the administration to stop these constructions forthwith, JK High Court observed, “Under the shield of the permission so obtained, large scale unauthorised constructions, expansions and encroachments are being affected. Most of these are being sought and carried out by persons who have no right in the lands at all.”
“It is absolutely imperative to check this illegal activity as the unauthorised construction in this eco-fragile area is irreversibly damaging the environment. The damage is such that it cannot be compensated monetarily. Not only will the present populace, but the generations to come, have to pay the price for environmental degradation”, the latest court order further said.