Srinagar, August 1
The High Court has directed the Chief Secretary to ensure a clean environment and that potable water is provided to the people living near the Achin garbage dumping site before their patience runs out.

It has also directed the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of all concerned and issue directions to the authorities concerned to comply with the provisions of Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules Act 1998, Environment Protection Act 1986 and the rules made thereunder and accordingly, submit a report to the court within a week.

These directions were issued by a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur after it expressed its dissatisfaction over the status reports filed by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Economic Reconstruction Agency, the two agencies responsible for developing Achin garbage dumping site on the outskirts of Srinagar as envisaged under the rules.

"Status reports by Manzoor Ahmad (Project manager, ERA) and GN Qasba (SMC, Commissioner) are far from satisfactory,” the bench observed in its orders, while adding that on previous hearing, the court had issued show cause notices to both the officers asking them why penalty under Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 cannot be imposed upon them for “acting in contravention” of the rules and the subsequent court directions.

The bench in its orders also said that Zaffar Qureshi, the counsel for the petitioners, has pointed out that it has been impossible to continue to live in Achin as according to him, the bad odour emanating from the nearby dumping site is spreading up to Nowhatta area of Srinagar.

“The reports by the SMC and ERA show that they are blaming each other and provisions of the Act have been cited for shunning the responsibility,” the bench observed in its orders while showing its displeasure over blame game being played by the two agencies.

“We request the Chief Secretary to convene a meeting of all the concerned and issue directions to all the sections to comply with the previsions as envisaged under the act and the rules,” the High Court said while directing the Chief Secretary to file a report in this regard.

“We request the Advocate General to convey these orders and our sentiments to the Chief Secretary to ensure that before the patience of the (Achin) people is exhausted, clean environment and portable water as the previsions of the rules is provided to them,” the court observed while listing the matter for further consideration on August 7.

The High Court in its orders dated 16/10/2011 had given ERA & SMC three months time to develop the Achind dumping site in tune with the rules

Later, the authorities concerned were given “last and final opportunity” to develop the site as per the rules, which ended in January 2013

Registrar Judicial, appointed as the commissioner in March, 2013, in his inspection report to the court has revealed that the Achin site is not covered, with the result it is emitting bad and foul odour

Residents of village Achan on Srinagar outskirts have submitted that odour emanating from the dumping site has adversely affected the health of inhabitants and the surroundings

Bad odour from the site has now reached the city’s interiors

The villagers have now suggested that the government either take over their village and acquire all the lands and rehabilitate them elsewhere as according to them, it has become difficult to live there because of the bad air and water quality

Srinagar, August 1
In view of the ensuing Eid-ul-Fitr, the Traffic Police, Srinagar, has made elaborate arrangements to discourage traffic gridlocks along Residency Road and MA Road stretches.

A police spokesman said no passenger vehicle would be allowed to ply on the Residency Road from Radio Kashmir up to Hari Singh High Street on one side and along Moulana Azad Road from SRTC Crossing to Jehangir Chowk on the other side, except emergency and on duty vehicles.

“Restrictions shall remain in force from August 6 till Eid-ul-Fitr prayer,” he said.

The spokesman said passenger vehicles would be allowed on Residency Road and Moulana Azad Road from August 6.

However, these vehicles would be diverted from different routes.

“The passanger vehicles moving on the Residency Road will now be diverted via Abdullah bridge, Rajbagh, Lal Mandi and Shargari Exhibition. The vehicles which have to move from Batamalaoo towards MA Road shall be diverted at Jehangir Chowk, Old Secretariat, Tankipora, Habbakadal, Barbar Shah, Baba Dharam Das route and at Maisuma interior. At Baba Dharam Das, the vehicles bound for Hazaratbal and Soura shall take left turn and vehicles bound for Nishat and Shalimar shall proceed towards Kohankhan Dalgate-Badyari chowk and onwards,” he said.

The traffic police has requested the general public to pool in their vehicles so that the load on the city roads is reduced.

Srinagar, August 1
Jammu and Kashmir’s top anti-corruption body State Vigilance Organisation today attached four more properties in a high-profile revenue embezzlement case of Lethpora land scam.

“The properties include movable as well as immovable properties raised out of misappropriated amount of Rs 22 crore approximately (during land acquisition proceedings for widening of National Highway funded by NHA1 GOI in 2010) by officers/officials of then DC's office Pulwama in connivance with J&K Bank officials and private persons connected with case FIR number 37/2010 P/S VOK,” said an official spokesman.

The properties attached are spread over an area of three Kanals two Marlas of land at Noorpora Tral, two Kanals five Marlas of land at Ratnipora Pulwama and two Kanals three Marlas of land at Nowgam, the market value of the properties is worth Rs 1.25 crores.

The Vigilance organisation has already attached a number of properties, both movable and immovable, including the palatial house of kingpin Farooq Jehanjeeb at Rawalpora Srinagar, frozen bank accounts worth crores of rupees by resorting to special provision of attachment under Prevention of Corruption Act 2006.

The present market value of these properties is more than Rs 8 crore, which is public money and belongs to the state exchequer.

The investigation is at the final stage and is likely to be sent to the state government for accord of sanction in this matter.

Srinagar, August 1
Moderate rainfall in the wee hours brought respite from the heat wave conditions in the summer capital. Other parts of the Valley continued to witness hot weather conditions.

Srinagar recorded 8.4 mm rainfall till 11 am, that gave some relief to people, especially those observing fasts in view of the holy month of Ramadan. While the weather remained pleasant till the afternoon, the temperature, as per an official of the Meteorological Department, rose to 29.1 degrees Celsius. However, today's maximum temperature was around 4.3 degrees Celsius less as compared to yesterday's high.

The summer capital had recently recorded the hottest day temperature in seven years at 35.4 degrees Celsius. Srinagar had recorded the hottest day in 1973 at 39.5 degrees Celsius.

Barring the hill resorts, the temperature in most other parts of the Valley remained above 30 degrees Celsius. Most of the places outside the city remained dry as per the MeT department barring Kokernag in south Kashmir as the area recorded 1 mm rainfall.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded a maximum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius while border town Kupwara saw a high of 30.7 degrees Celsius. South Kashmir tourist resort recorded a maximum temperature of 27.2 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperatures in Srinagar, Qazigund, Kupwara and Pahalgam were 21.4, 19.5, 20.9 and 16.5 degrees Celsius respectively.

The MeT office has forecast moderate to heavy rainfall at many places across the state. Meanwhile, Leh in Ladakh region recorded temperatures of 35.4 degrees Celsius and 17.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

Srinagar, August 1
A committee has been formed to deal with violations in the master plan of tourist resort Sonmarg in Ganderbal district.

“ Director Tourism was informed about some instances of violation in the master plan in Sonamarg. An action plan was formulated to deal with the same which includes constitution of a committee to start with a ground level study on deviations and violations of the approved master plan of construction and submit it to the Board of Construction Authority (BOCA),” an official statement said after a meeting regarding various tourism related activities in Ganderbal was held here today.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Sarmad Hafeez, Director Tourism Talat Ahmed, Deputy Director Tourism Showkat Ahmed Pandit and other officials.

“The Deputy Commissioner requested the Director Tourism to augment tourist staff including a tourist officer and tourist police to facilitate thriving tourism in the area and to constitute a complaint and grievances cell to register any problems and issues faced by tourists. A need was also felt for identification of pony stand along with proper tagging and registration of ponies, with the help of Sonamarg Development Authority,” the statement added.

Srinagar, August 1
Former judge Gous-ul-Nissa Jeelani was appointed as the second Vigilance Commissioner of the state.

With his appointment as the Vigilance Commissioner, the State Vigilance Commission has now become fully functional.

The SVC has a Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and two Vigilance Commissioners. The government had already appointed former Director General of J&K Police Kuldeep Khoda as the CVC and former IAS officer R K Jerath as Vigilance Commissioner in February this year.

The Commission can inquire into offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Srinagar, August 1
Four persons were injured in road accidents since Wednesday evening, police said.

Police said a motorcycle (JK05A/1016) collided with a Tonga at Janwara, Sopore, resulting in injuries to motorcyclist Showkat Ahmad Malla, resident of Arin Bandipora and two pillions Arif Ahmad Wani of Hatlangoo, Sopore and Khalid Hussain Changa of Arampora, Sopore. All the injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

In another accident, a motorcycle (JK03A/2631) driven by Yasir Ahmad Shah, a resident of Nathipora, skid off the road at Jaibal Ashmuqam, resulting in injuries to the pillion Abdul Rahim Wagay of Mir Maidaan. The injured was admitted in hospital for treatment.

Srinagar, August 1
A 17-year-old girl from Batapora Larnoo, Anantnag, consumed some poisonous substance at her home.

She was referred to the Public Health Centre, Larnoo, after that she was shifted to the District Hospital Anantnag, where she breathed her last, the police said. A case has been registered.

A non-local labourer died in a fall while working at construction site in Srinagar.

A 25-year-old Manesh, son of Manu Lal, resident of Hararya Bihar, fell from a rooftop of a building at Naaz Colony where he was working.

"He received critical injuries in the fall and was shifted to the hospital. He succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital," police said.