The unprecedented delay caused in action against the encroachers of wetland in Kashmir valley is by all probabilities a violation of the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) which had directed J&K Government last years to submitted details about wetland encroachments to revenue and wildlife departments for the purposes of action against the encroachers. Having decided that encroachments will be removed in and around wetlands across Kashmir the removal of encroachments in and around wetlands should have been completed this year but the delay in action against the encroachers of the wetlands shows that directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) are being violated. As per the Government’s own decision the Wildlife Department had to be take preservation and protection of Narakara and Anchar wetlands in the light National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions but the encroachment still existing in and around Anchar and Narakara wetlands show that concerned department is not taking as serious the decision of the government as it should taken to implement the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on this count. Though massive encroachment drives are carried out by the municipal bodies and allied departments against the encroachers to retrieve the encroached government land in different parts of both Kashmir valley and Jammu division including twin capital cities-Srinagar and Jammu but a casual approach of the concerned departments against the encroachers to retrieved encroached wetland parts in and around wetlands in violation of the directions of National Green Tribunal for the purposes of protection and preservation of wetlands is going unnoticed. What matters the most is the fact that Chief Secretary Dr A K Mehta in a personal appearance before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in November last year had said that the execution of action plans on NGT directions for removing encroachment of wetlands will be overseen on a regular basis by him, along with the Commissioner Secretary, Department of Environment and Forest, J&K Government.
Even after NGT interventions and announcement of plans for actions against the encroachers the encroachments are yet to be retrieved in and around wetlands due to the fact that encroachers in and around the wetlands in the peripheries of Srinagar city also are the leaders of the previous popular governments and also their close affiliations.
The NGT had during the personal appearance of Chief Secretary impressed upon him even to involve local NGOs and religious leaders in creating awareness on conservation of Kashmir’s wetlands, particularly Hokersar, Wullar and Kreentchoo Chandhara wetland reserves. Even after NGT interventions and announcement of plans for actions against the encroachers the encroachments are yet to be retrieved in and around wetlands due to the fact that encroachers in and around the wetlands in the peripheries of Srinagar city also are the leaders of the previous popular governments and also their close affiliations.
