SrinagarThe Jammu and Kashmir High Court today preponed the date of hearing in a Public Interest Litigation regarding protection and preservation of Jhelum, the lifeline of Kashmir.
The direction by a division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey followed an application amicus curie to the PIL advocate Nadeem Qadri with the submission that a huge breach of 200 meter has taken place on river bank as such the date fixed as February 7 be preponed.
The directed listing of the PIL on January 31 instead of February 7 even as State counsel vehemently resisted the preponing of the date. He submitted that state has to file various status reports in terms of previous directions which could not be possible if the date was preponed. He also submitted that this is given to understand that the breach has taken place due to unabated dredging and silting but the fact is that there was a leakage and seepage of water pipe near the breach.
The government on Wednesday last ordered an inquiry regarding caving in of the Jhelum embankment at Lasjan in outskirts of Srinagar.
Minister for Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR), Javaid Mustafa Mir, had directed the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan to order an enquiry into the incident that led to the caving in of the embankment at Lasjan, an official of the department had said.
The Minister, taking a strict note of the incident had assured that the guilty will not be spared.
He had spoken to Commissioner Secretary to Government PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control Department M. Raju and asked him to ensure that restoration work was started by Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department immediately. The Minister gave directions to Director Disaster Management Aamir Ali to personally visit the spot and assess the situation, which could otherwise have endangered lives of hundreds of people, in case there was water in River Jhelum.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has already ordered an enquiry into the incident, to be conducted by District Magistrate Srinagar, and ordered that the report be submitted, within a fortnight.
He had also directed Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control Department Kashmir start the restoration work on a war footing basis.
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