By M Ahmad
Srinagar- The High Court of J&K and Ladakh on Monday issued notice to the government on a Public Interest Litigation, seeking its directions for preparing a Master Plan for sustainable development of the Bangus Valley before carrying on any developmental work in the picturesque place in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The notice was issued by Chief Justice N Kotishwar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi after hearing the PIL filed by one advocate Umar Mir.
Situated at a distance of 150 Kms from Srinagar, Bangus Valley is spread over an area of 300 hectares and of late has emerged as a new attraction for many tourists and visitors because of its green meadows, dense forests, streams besides small and big valleys, slopes of the side plateaus.
The petitioner submitted that the Government of J&K in 2010, for the purpose of development of Tourist destinations in Kupwara District, constituted an authority called Lolab Bangus Drangyadi Development Authority (LBDDA)). The Authority has been entrusted with the task of developing the tourist destinations of Kupwara including Bangus, he said.
He said the whole of the land covered under Bangus is forest and there is no patch of it transferred to the LBDDA due to which the authority was yet to prepare a master plan for its development.
Being a newly exposed tourist destination, he said, there is no master plan with the authorities for sustainable development of the spot and there are concerns regarding the trees and pastures which “should not be destroyed and the developmental works should not happen in a haphazard manner.”
Besides seeking direction for preparation of the Master Plan, the petitioner also seeks a direction to the authorities to take steps for preservation of natural beauty of Bangus Valley including its forests, stream, meadows etc.
He submits that the authorities be directed to prepare the master plan for Bangus valley by following the procedure as envisaged in Jammu and Kashmir Development Act 1970 and in such a way that no concrete constructions and buildings are allowed to be constructed in the valley and “no allotment of land is made in haphazard manner and in excess for commercial activities.”
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
