Srinagar, Aug 20: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has sought an explanation from the J&K Government for not responding to the Centre’s communication on conservation plans for three wetland reserves for nearly a year.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Muhammad Yousuf Wani issued the direction while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on environmental protection. The bench also questioned the exclusion of other Ramsar Sites in Jammu and Kashmir from the management planning process.
The court’s direction came following the information by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change that the J&K Government had submitted Integrated Management Plans (IMPs) on August 25, 2025, under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystem (NPCA), for the period 2025-26 to 2029-30. The proposals sought consideration and administrative approval for three Wetland Reserves.
However, the Ministry said that the proposals did not conform to the NPCA scheme. It subsequently wrote to the J&K Government on September 10, 2025, directing it to submit separate IMPs for each wetland in accordance with the NPCA Guidelines, 2024.
The Ministry further informed that the J&K Government had not responded to the communication so far.
Taking serious note of the delay, the Court directed the Government to file an affidavit explaining why it had failed to respond to the Ministry’s September 10, 2025 communication and why separate management plans for the three wetland reserves had not been resubmitted.
The Court also sought an explanation from the Government for excluding other Ramsar Sites in Jammu and Kashmir while preparing and submitting the IMPs.
The Ministry informed the Court that the NPCA scheme, which was initially valid until March 31, 2026, has been given an interim extension up to September 30, 2026. It added that a proposal for continuation of the scheme for the 2026-31 financial cycle is currently under consideration before the competent authority.
The High Court granted the Government three weeks to file the requisite affidavit.
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