NGT seeks accountability from J&KPCC for wetland destruction

New Delhi, Sep 19: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board to provide details regarding the action it has taken against those polluting and destroying the wetlands and waterbodies in the union territory.

The tribunal also sought several details from the UT's forest, ecology and environment department, including the total number of wetlands and lakes and their geocoordinates.

The green body was hearing a matter regarding the alleged deterioration in the condition of wetlands in the union territory, especially in Kashmir.

In a recent order, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the J&KPCC had said in its report dated September 7 that there were 12 wetlands in the UT out of which some had low dissolved oxygen, high coliform levels, higher Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and the water quality across

them ranged from medium to good.

The report said one of the waterbodies- Freshkoori wetland in Pulwama- was heavily polluted, noted the bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel.

"A report has also been filed by the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment. The report merely indicates the status of the wetland or lakes and does not provide any details about conservation and protection measures laid down in the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules and Environment (Protection) Act," the tribunal said.

It directed the department to provide various details, including the total number of wetlands or lakes, their geo coordinates, their area as per revenue records, the drains or inlets carrying effluents or sewage to the water bodies, list of polluting units, townships or commercial bodies discharging untreated effluents in the wetlands, their water quality, their conservation or management plan and the nodal officer responsible for implementing the plan.

The tribunal also noted that according to the statement of the J&KPCC member secretary, no action was taken against the authorities concerned for the violation of environmental laws but the committee would identify the violations, take action, and submit a report.

It directed the J&KPCC to submit within 3 months "details of the action taken on violations identified that are responsible for polluting and destroying above wetland and water bodies."

The matter has been posted for December 23 for further proceedings.