Srinagar, Oct 2: The Group of Concerned Citizens J&K (GCC) has sounded caution against the increasing threat to the fragile environmental assets in Jammu and Kashmir, the water resources in particular, in the name of development.
The group presented a policy paper, “Srinagar Declaration on Natural Environment in Jammu & Kashmir”, to Chief Secretary Atal Duloo in a high-level meeting here on Thursday. The GCC team was led by its Chairman, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai (IAS retd), former Advisor to Governor J&K.
Frequent amendments to the Urban Building Byelaws over the last two years were another key concern discussed in the meeting, with the GCC pressing for an “authentic expert appraisal of these amendments, as also of the newly notified land pool policy, instead of having to push for copy-paste of a type design far removed from the imperatives of safeguarding natural environment, heritage and culture of J&K”.
The group decried the identification of a known flood basin in Nowgam for an Industrial Estate in violation of the Srinagar Master Plan and demanded “it be shelved”.
It also raised certain other concerns of public importance. These included review of the freeze on teacher recruitment; filling up of vacancies of doctors, specialists and consultants in the Health Services Department, besides faculty positions in government medical and dental colleges; integration of city mobility plans in flyover projects on the anvil, and better regulation and management of traffic; widening of city roads and removal of bottlenecks; assigning conservation of Anchar lake and uncared-for lagoons to LCMA; protection and preservation of heritage sites; re-integration of the city channels (Kuta Khol, Chuent Khol, Sons Khol) as part of flood mitigation plans; and use of GB Pant Hospital infrastructure lying abandoned for four years.
In his response, the Chief Secretary appreciated the GCC’s endeavour to project important public concerns and grievances from time to time, and assured earnest and appropriate action on each point raised.
Administrative Secretaries and other senior officials from concerned departments also participated in the meeting.
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