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| PDP to moot bill for environment protection law | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Feb 18: PDP member, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat is to move a bill expectedly to be debated in ensuing budget session of the Assembly, bill will seek a comprehensive law for the protection and conservation of environment in Jammu and Kashmir. Bhat said that the state does not have a comprehensive law for the protection of environment and ecology. He said in the absence of such a law both private parties and Government agencies have been instrumental in fiddling with the forest and mineral wealth of state. Already forest cover stands squeezed and so is the case with the water bodies. The diameter of the Dal Lake and other lakes in Kashmir Valley has shrunk by 20 to 30 per cent during the last 45 years because of pollution and encroachment.
Another worry is the "irrational land use" which has resulted in drop in the size of the agricultural land in the state after both Government and private agencies resorted to massive house construction programme. No doubt the successive State Governments has initiated measures for preservation of lakes for which the centre had allocated liberal funds but the progress of the scheme is not manifested on the ground. Years ago the Government had planned to clean Dal Lak of the encroachment by shifting all those who had constructed houses and huts on the lake waters. For this a separate housing colony was established and a large number of the House boat owners had been allotted land in the colony. But there has been no improvement in the situation because till date not a single house or hut has been demolished.
Bhat said that the aim of his bill was to develop a definite mechanism for the protection of the state's environment and ecology. He said anyone found to have tried to pose a threat to the state's environment or attempted at encroaching on water bodies and forest areas need to receive a heavy penalty for which enactment of law was needed.
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