Srinagar: After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) slashed a penalty of Rs 3 crore on erring officers of the J&K government and polluters for not taking steps to control pollution and illegal mining in Doodh Ganga and Mamath Kul in Budgam, the Principal Secretary to Government Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) has called a meeting of senior officers on Monday.
In a meeting notice issued by the HUUD on Saturday, 11 senior officers of the government were asked to attend the meeting in Jammu on Monday.
“Principal Secretary to Government, HUUD, would chair a meeting on March 14, 2022, Monday at 4 pm in the meeting hall first floor civil secretariat Jammu to discuss the action required to be taken in light of the directions of the NGT in the case titled Raja Muzaffar Bhat versus Union of India and others,” the notice read.
It read that Members Secretary PCB, DCs of Srinagar and Budgam, Commissioner SMC, Director Soil Conservation J&K, Director ULB Kashmir, Director Geology and Mining , Chief Engineers I&FC, UEED and Special Secretary Legal (HUDD) have been invited to attend the meeting. The case on pollution in Doodh Ganga was listed before the Principal Bench of NGT last week.
The NGT order said that the State be held liable to pay an interim compensation of Rs 1 crore each under all the three heads (solid waste, liquid waste, and Illegal mining) which is to be deposited in a separate account of Deputy Commissioner Budgam to be utilised for restoration of environment.
The bench headed by Justice A K Goel observed, “The violations found include dumping of waste on the banks of the river, discharge of untreated sewage into the river, unregulated illegal mining activities and failure to protect the embankments of the river. The report was signed by the Additional Secretary to the Government, HUDD.”
It read: “We find that neither the dumping of solid waste nor discharge of untreated sewage has been prevented nor illegal mining stopped and legacy waste cleared for which statutory timelines have already expired. The State is accordingly held liable to pay interim compensation of Rs 1 crore each under all the three heads which may be deposited in a separate account to be utilised for restoration of the environment.”