SRINAGAR: The J&K High Court directed the Chief Secretary to the government to appoint a committee of officers and nodal department to look after the entire rehabilitation work and take immediate necessary steps to rehabilitate and relocate people from Dal Lake.
The court said the Committee shall prepare the details of all necessary steps and the timelines within which the rehabilitation from the Dal Lake will be completed.
The court remarked that the monitoring of rehabilitation has been dismal. “It would appear that till date, a holistic plan has also not been put in place,” the court said.
While giving reference of a Special Note forwarded by Dr Nivedita Haran, one of the members of Committee of Experts, the court recorded that it is reported with anguish that even basic necessities as a Government School and a functional dispensary have not be opened at the relocation site nor a bus service provided from the relocation site to the Dal Lake to enable the rehabilitees to travel to the place of work.
The court further said that it appears that no specific Government Department is looking at the work of rehabilitation.
“The entire exercise which the Committee of Experts is undertaking would be brought to a naught if the aspect of relocation is not efficiently and urgently addressed,” the court noted.
The court remarked that it is very important that the authorities furnish details of the persons to whom the allotments of plots have already been made and those to whom the possession has been granted also needs to be disclosed.
In this regard, court directed Collector, LAWDA and the Executive Engineer, Division-I, LAWDA, to prepare and place the details of all the persons who had have to be relocated as well as the date on which the allotment letters at the relocation sites and also dates on which possession has been handed over to the relocated persons.
“The cluster mapping and the drone survey shall give us valuable evidence as to the situation with regard to the plots / properties on the Dal Lake of the places where relocation has been effected. The Collector, LAWDA shall place before us a report with regard to these plots / properties,” the court ordered.
Meantime, the court was informed that de-weeding machines have been received in Srinagar from the Cochin Port Trust and the trial runs of these machines shall commence tomorrow.
It was also informed by the Vice Chairman, LAWDA, that eight Hul based Bio-digesters have been received which are to be installed on the houseboats.
VC LAWDA also stated before court that the draft Tourism Policy has been received from the Department of Tourism which is under consideration. “Comments thereon shall be furnished to the Committee of Experts,” he told the court.
The court after taking the submissions on record said that the reports filed before us shows that very important steps stand taken with regard to completion of the marking of boundaries of the Dal Lake, the Drone Survey is almost completed, commencement of installation of bio-digesters on houseboats and procurement of efficient de-weeding Machines.
Furthermore, the court said organizations as the Royal Spring Golf Course which was using chemical pesticides etc. have changed the practice of chemical pesticides and are using some organic pest control measures to reduce the entry of pollutants into the Lake.
“Additionally, because of the robust intervention by the Pollution Control Board, the need of installing STPs is being addressed vigorously,” the court noted.

NUSRAT SIDIQ