Srinagar April 10: A galaxy of environmentalists from Kashmir Sunday held a roundtable meet in Srinagar with eminent lawyers practising at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) New Delhi, to discuss the environmental degradation in Kashmir valley. Senior lawyers Rahul Chowdhary and Ritwick Dutta, who also practise at Supreme Court of India, deliberated upon various aspects related to air and water pollution.
The event was attended by a large number of environmental experts, lawyers and activists from various districts of Kashmir.
The participants included Dr. G. N. Qasba, Dr. M.R.D Kundangar, Er Ajaz Rasool, Dr. Prof G.A.Bhat, Faiz Bakshi (Convenor-Kashmir EPG), Farooq Ahmad Kuthoo (Harwan), Syed Nassarullah & Peerzada Fayaz (EPG), Ajaz Ahmad Dar, Ashfaq Ahmad, Mohammad Subhan, Shamasuddin, Auqaf Committee Tarzoo, Sopore), Rayan Sofi, Javed Ahmad Ganie, Yaseen Sofi, Nasir Wani (Hokersar), Syed Farhat, Mudassir Yatoo (Budgam) Peer Bilal Ahmad, Idrees Ahmad (Harwan) Activist Jounalist Rasiq Rasool( Kupwara) Syed Adil & Shsh Masroor ( Ganderbal) Advocates Badrul Duja & Nazeer Ahmad; Shakir Mushtaq, Ifra Nabi (Law Students), Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, Mushtaq A Lone, Umar (RTI Activists) and many other concerned activists.
Chairman J&K RTI Movement Dr Raja Muzaffar who was coordinating the event, gave a detailed presentation on unscientific waste management in Kashmir and its impact on our water bodies like Dal lake, Nigeen Lake, Wullar, Jhelum, Doodh Ganga and Shali Ganga etc. He showed his serious concern about illegal mining taking place across small rivers of Kashmir valley which are technically not at all feasible for this kind of work.
Syed Nasarullah Chairman legal committee of Environmental Policy Group (EPG) while giving his welcome address appreciated the work of Advocate Rahul Chowdhary and Ritwick Dutta for taking up environmental cases from Kashmir at NGT. Convener EPG Faiz Bakshi deliberated upon unscientific waste management and gave a detailed presentation about EPG’s work.
Noted environmental experts Prof G A Bhat , Dr M R D Kundangar and Ajaz Rasool spoke in detail about the pathetic conditions of water bodies in Kashmir and discussed the ways and methods to control it.
President Travel Agents of Kashmir (TAAK) Farooq Kuthoo and past president Peerzada Fayaz deliberated upon eco-tourism and uncontrolled tourist rush in Kashmir valley and its impact on environment.
Former SMC Commissioner Dr G N Qasba also participated in the roundtable and urged upon the participants to work in close coordination with Govt. He advised the group to take up the issues discussed in roundtable with Chief Secretary A K Mehta as he has served in the Ministry of Environment & Forests for a very long time in the past. During the discussion work done by Manzoor Wangnoo Chairman NLCO to clean up Gilsar and Khushaal Sar was hailed.
Representatives from Central Auqaf Committee Tarzoo Sopore, Khrew, Hokersar Wetland, Dachigam Wildlife Reserve, Doodh Ganga Chadoora also spoke on the occasion and raised their issues related to unscientific waste dumping, air pollution and illegal mining.
