High Court grants 4 more weeks to Govt for response

Srinagar, Dec 12: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Thursday granted the government four more weeks for its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to save Ladakh’s environment, ecology, and land from encroachers besides resolving the boundary dispute between district Kargil in Ladakh and district Ganderbal in Kashmir.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Rajesh Sekhri granted the time after the government advocate requested it.

The court appointed senior advocate M I Qadri as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.

In July this year, the court had issued notice to Ladakh UT’s Chief Secretary, its Principal Secretary to the Forest Department, and the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) besides Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kargil, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, and Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, on the PIL for their response.

A letter under reference No 122-24/LAHDC/Kgl dated July 1, 2024, under the subject ‘Save Ladakh’s environment, ecology, and land from encroachers and resolve the boundary dispute between district Kargil of Ladakh and district Ganderbal of J&K’ had been addressed to the Chief Justice by Abdul Wahid in his capacity as Councillor, 2-Bhimbet Constituency, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil.

The letter was placed before the Chief Justice and it was directed to be treated as PIL.

In the letter, deep concern had been expressed over the safety of the environment and ecology of Ladakh.

It was said in the letter that the residents of district Ganderbal have encroached upon the land of Ladakh under the garb that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had divided the snow area land into equal proportions and this action on the part of the inhabitants of Ganderbal had endangered the flora and fauna of the Ladakh region which was being a threat to the environment and ecology of the region.

Further, it had been pleaded that the traffic movement and allied rules governing the subject were being applied to impede only the people of Ladakh who were made to suffer from various aspects whereas the tourist vehicles as well as heavy vehicles without any restrictions were being allowed to move throughout the year.