Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 19: The State high court on Friday asked officials to place before it "photographic evidence" of toilets removed on either sides of river banks in Handwara in north Kashmir.
The court was hearing the PIL over multi-crore embezzlement of public exchequer in PHE department of Handwara Division in 2014 and later extended its scope to supply of pure water to the general public.
The division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar directed the PHE authorities to place the photographic evidence of removed toilets situated on either sides of river banks.
The direction followed after the PHE counsel submitted that as directed by the court all the toilets and latrines situated on river banks have been demolished. The Court has also directed that the new toilets be constructed at a "feasible location."
During one of the hearings, The Court also imposed penalty of Rs 5000 each on department of Horticulture, Floriculture, Fisheries, Pollution Control Board, Health Department as well as Geology and Mining for not following the court directions.
These department were later directed to submit status reports indicating the number and locations of all the toilets/latrines which have been identified on the banks of all nallas, rivers, streams and tributaries which are source of drinking water for consumption of the inhabitants. |
