Mapping, demarcation of J-K wetlands to be completed by March end

Jammu, Mar 04: Mapping and demarcation of wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir is underway and scheduled to be completed by the end of March, Forest Minister Javad Ahmad Rana said on Tuesday.

Rana provided the information in a written reply to a starred question by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para seeking information about the measures taken by the government for protection and preservation of depleting wetlands during the past two years.

"The (forest) department has taken up the mapping of wetlands using remote sensing data and the ground truthing and subsequent demarcation of these wetlands exercise, in collaboration with the stakeholder departments revenue and wildlife for wetlands, above 2.25 hectares, as per the directions of the Supreme Court," the minister said.

The exercise is underway at present and scheduled to be completed by March end, he added.

In accordance with the Wetlands (Conservation and Management Rules), 2017, brief documents for six wetlands have been prepared by the district working groups concerned. Of these, four -- Ahansur-Waskursar Wetland Complex; Sanasar Lake; Khushalsar and Gilsar Lake (complex); and Anchar and Rakh-i-Kujar (complex) are almost finalised and two (Manasbal Lake and Narkara) are under examination of the technical committee, the minister said.

Rana said district wetland management units headed by the deputy commissioner concerned were constituted on December 19 for protection and preservation of wetlands.

In response to another question about the details of the environmental impact assessment report of a proposed road for the Amarnath Yatra from Baltal and Pahalgam, the minister said the tracks leading to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas had been developed according to the Supreme Court's December 13, 2012, order.