Srinagar : A meeting of Committee on Environment held Thursday at Assembly Secretariat under the Chairmanship of MLA M Y Tarigami.
The meeting was attended by Legislators Professor Gharu Ram, Dr.Baldev Raj Sharma, Showkat Hussain Ganie, Javaid Ahmad Mirchal, Salman Sagar, Javaid Riyaz (Bedar), Rameshwar Singh and Devyani Rana.
Expressing serious concern over the growing menace of plastic pollution in Jammu and Kashmir, the Committee urged the government to take stringent measures to curb the use of plastic, particularly single-use plastic, across the Union Territory.
The Committee observed that indiscriminate use of plastic had emerged as a major environmental challenge, adversely affecting the public health, polluting water bodies and degrading the ecological balance of the region.
The Committee urged the government to issue an Executive Order for imposing a comprehensive ban on the use of plastic bags across the Union Territory in the larger interest of environmental protection, public health and sustainable development.
The Chairman called upon the J&K Pollution Control Committee to intensify the enforcement measures. It also asked for ensuring strict implementation of laws aimed at eliminating the use of single-use plastics, especially in and around the tourist destinations, religious shrines and environmentally sensitive areas.
The Committee also took serious notice of the ongoing indefinite strike by the sanitation workers engaged by various Urban Local Bodies as CLs and DRWs.
Describing sanitation workers as an indispensable component of urban civic services, the Committee directed the Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, to initiate immediate dialogue with the agitating workers and make earnest efforts to resolve the impasse by examining their genuine demands.
During the deliberations, the Committee members unanimously stressed the need for coordinated action by the Pollution Control Committee, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to make Jammu and Kashmir plastic-free.
The Committee sought a comprehensive report on the environmental and ecological impact of the Achan landfill site in Srinagar and Bhagwati Nagar dumping site in Jammu, including the status of legacy waste remediation, scientific waste processing, compliance with National Green Tribunal (NGT) directives and progress achieved under the proposed Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) Project at Achan.
It also directed the concerned departments to furnish details regarding the impact of waste management activities on Anchar Lake, surrounding habitations and ecosystems, besides measures taken to prevent leachate generation, groundwater contamination, air pollution and public health hazards.
The Committee also discussed pollution concerns relating to the River Tawi, Surinsar- Mansar Lake and other lakes in J&K and sought detailed information from the concerned departments. It directed the officers to undertake on-the-spot inspections and submit reports on measures required for conservation and restoration of these water bodies.
The Committee further sought details from the Jammu Municipal Corporation regarding the initiatives taken for restoration, rejuvenation and conservation of ponds, lakes and other water bodies within municipal limits, including efforts to revive encroached and degraded water bodies and restore their ecological, cultural and community significance.
After detailed discussions, the Chairman issued necessary directions to the officers and asked them to take immediate remedial measures and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) at the next meeting of the Committee.
The Members also actively participated in the deliberations and raised various issues related to environmental protection, plastic pollution, solid waste management, conservation of water bodies and public health concerns in their respective constituencies.
Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Commissioner Secretary Forest, Ecology and Environment, Chairman JKPCC, Commissioner JMC & SMC, Director ULB along with other senior officers of concerned departments and JKLA were present in the meeting.
