SRINAGAR: Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg, on Friday directed the committee for the Implementation of Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) Notification for Dachigam National Park, Thajwas (Baltal) Wildlife Sanctuary, and Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary to expedite decisions on construction permission cases, ensuring applicants are not made to wait unnecessarily.
Chairing a meeting of concerned officers at his office, Mr. Garg emphasized that delaying cases for undue periods causes inconvenience to the public and must be avoided.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioners of Anantnag, Pulwama, and Ganderbal; the Regional Wildlife Warden; officers from the Tourism, Forest, and Town Planning departments; representatives from the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), Pollution Control Board, and the office of the Divisional Commissioner; and the President of the National Society for Protection of Water Resources, Wetlands & Forests.
At the outset, officials from the Wildlife Department presented a detailed overview of the region’s Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks, including data on flora and fauna and the delineation of the Eco-Sensitive Zone boundaries.
The meeting discussed individual cases of construction permission applications and reviewed the responses of stakeholder departments regarding approvals and denials.
During deliberations, the Divisional Commissioner also ordered action against an applicant who had constructed a structure within the ESZ limits without proper authorization.
Further, Mr. Garg directed the concerned authorities to prepare a map of the green corridor within the Eco-Sensitive Zone over the next two months. He also instructed the Wildlife Department to formulate an action plan aimed at increasing the population of the Kashmir Stag (Hangul) to help remove it from the list of critically endangered species.
