Seeks Update On Steps Taken For Conservation, Preservation Of Water Bodies

Srinagar: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has the government four weeks time for filing fresh report regarding the Committee headed by the Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD ) regarding various aspects of Dal Lake.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed in 2002, a division bench of Justice Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Puneet Gupta also directed authorities to update the status report regarding steps taken for the conservation and preservation of the water bodies including Dal Lake.
The court’s orders followed submissions by Law Officer, LAWDA that court’s order dated 27 February 2023 could not be complied with for the reasons that draft report is before the Government for approval. He said as and when the necessary approval is accorded, fresh report shall be submitted in the Court.
Subsequently, he prayed for and was granted four weeks’ time by the court to file the fresh status report.
“The respondents (authorities) shall also update the status report as to the steps taken for the conservation and preservation of the water bodies in terms of the orders passed by this Court from time to time,” the court said.
On 27 February, the Court had granted the government two weeks to submit the report of a Committee which was constituted in December last year and among others it was tasked with the duty to determine the buffer zones around Dal Lake and allied water bodies falling under the Srinagar Metropolitan Region.

KR Desk