SATELLITE IMAGERY FOR SONAMARG | HC directs CTP Kmr, Dir Ecology to cooperate with SDA

Srinagar, Jan 2: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has directed the Chief Town Planner (CTP), Town Planning Organisation, Kashmir and Director Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing Department to render cooperation to the Sonmarg Development Authority (SDA) in completing the process of satellite imagery for the ‘Golden Meadow’.

A division bench of Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice M A Chowdhary ordered cooperation from the two departments after government advocate, Ilias Laway, submitted on behalf of the SDA that while the process of getting the satellite imagery was in progress, it involved consultation with the two departments.

“Copy of this order may be furnished to all the authorities so that there will be no delay on their part to render cooperation to the SDA,” the court said.

It was hearing on its motion, Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the preservation of the environs of Sonmarg health resort.

Regarding the accommodation of hotels, huts, and integrated tourist resorts, the SDA informed the court at the previous hearing that for hotels, the proposed area as per the Master Plan was 8.87 hectares and the proposed plinth area was 5.26 hectares.

Out of the plinth area of 5.26 hectares of the area, the SDA said, 3.25 hectares of plinth area had been consumed, leaving the plinth area of 1.98 hectares for hotels.

Regarding huts and integrated tourist resorts, the SDA informed the court that the proposed area as per the Master Plan was 26.20 hectares.

In its previous order, the court had noted that the proposed land use would be completed once the proper satellite imagery was provided by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC).

The court had said that the figures it was informed about were “tentative in nature which would be finalised only after obtaining proper satellite imagery”.

“Under the circumstances, we are of the view that it may not be appropriate for us to pass any definitive order allowing or not allowing the various applications filed for repairing, and construction of hotels, huts, and integrated tourist resorts, which can be done only after obtaining the final and comprehensive report from the Sonamarg Development Authority,” the court had said.