State government has constituted a committe, which will meet regularly, to devise the policy on checking the increasing level of pollution in the state.
As per the order which has been issued by the general administration department (GAD), state government constituted a high level committee on environment, which will meet on regular basis to review the status of the implementation of the environmental laws in the state. An order has been issued the GAD according sanction to the constitution of a high level committee to review the laws.
“The committee will review and monitor the implementation of environmental laws in the State and take up issues related to pollution control, waste management and environmental conservation in a comprehensive manner,’’ reads the order.
Headed by Minister of state for Forest, the committee will have different administrative secretaries as its members. While the Forest Minister has been designated as the Vice Chairman of the committee, the Administrative Secretaries of Forest, Agriculture, Planning and Industries department will be its members. Chairman Pollution Control Board will be its member secretary. As per the order issued by the government the committee will meet at regular intervals and its meetings shall be convened by the Forest department.
Officials said that the committee has been constituted due to the rise in the level of pollution in the state, especially in the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu. The pollution level has increased after the spike in the number of vehicles which have been registered including the commercial as well as private vehicles as well as due to the industrial pollution.
Importantly, the committee has been constituted even as the PCB has come under criticism for failure to check the level of pollution in the state, especially the industrial pollution. A number of industrial units have been opened in the state in violation of the pollution standards and are not fitted with the equipment to check the level of pollution.
“The brick kilns have also added to the level of pollution in some areas especially Budgam area due to which the government has felt the need for devising of a policy to check the level pollution,’’ he said.
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