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| Hokersar loses 20000 kanals of land to encroachers, set to lose Ramsar status | | World Wetlands Day! | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 2: The Srinagar based Environmental Policy Group (EPG) on Tuesday claimed that twenty thousands (20,000) kanals of land belonging to Hokersar wetland is under illegal encroachments and that the water body was set to lose the Ramsar status. “Yes, hokersar has lost more than 20000 of its recorded 27200 Kanals to land encroachers.
The government of Jammu and Kashmir has also encroached a portion of it and raised concrete structures on it and due to this unchecked encroachment and several other reasons it is all set to lose the Ramsar Status,” Convener-Environmental Policy Group (EPG) Faiz Bakshi told Early Times over phone.
Hokersar reserve along with forty-two (42) other sites in India were recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention as Hokera Wetland in 2005 and It falls under India's National Wetlands Conservation Programme and is also included in the network of Important Bird Areas. Earlier the reserve was designated as a conservation reserve under the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1978.
In a statement, he said that the fate of other water bodies like Wular, Shallabug, Hygam, Mirgund and other wetlands is no different as encroachment, Vandalization, destruction by Government and private players has gone unnoticed.
“Shockingly Kashmir is threatened with losing the Ramsar Status for Hokersar under MONTREUX RECORD for undergoing changes/likely changes in ecological character due to technological developments, pollution and human ACB probe sought into wetland encroachment
Blaming wildlife officials for the ‘destruction’ of precious water bodies, he said that people should mourn on the world wetland day.
“The day is supposed to be celebrated but considering the state of our wetlands it is the day to mourn- courtesy the officials of the Wildlife Department mandated to conserve and their abject failure to protect them. Our wetlands are grasping for breath and crying for justice,” he said.
He said that as concerned citizens, through filled public Interest Litigation in J&K High Court Division Bench and obtained many important orders for demarcation of Wildlife Conservation areas and wetlands and the unflinching stand about Hokersar having lost a very substantial area was proved during demarcation process as the Map Guided demarcation pillars were fixed right into encroached residential/commercial areas and agricultural farms. “No wonder encroachers created an unpleasant situation while complicit Officials stayed away from the gaze,” he alleged.
The group said that they will approach Lieutenant Governor and will request him to order a thorough probe by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or any other Agency and investigate the ‘HUGE SCAM’ of land encroachment.
On being contacted, the Regional Wildlife Warden Raashid Naqash refused to comment on the issue however said that the claim of 20,000 kanals of wetland under encroachment was baseless. |
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