NGT summons authorities over worsening condition of Dal Lake

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JAMMU and KASHMIR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has called upon the Central Pollution Control Board and the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, to seek a response to the “deteriorating conditions” of the Dal Lake in Kashmir.

Initiating action based on a media report highlighting the “deteriorating conditions” of the lake, the tribunal took suo motu cognizance of the matter.

According to the report, the lake’s degradation stems from municipal sewage, pollution, and rapid urbanisation, significantly affecting the lives of the Hanji community, residing in houseboats.

Presiding over the matter, a bench comprising Prakash Shrivastava, National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice, and A Senthil Vel, Expert Member, noted that according to the report, sewage has destroyed the fish in the lake. Once a source of drinking water, the lake’s water quality has degraded to the extent that it is unsuitable even for basic hygiene purposes.

The tribunal underscored the report’s claim that a staggering 70 per cent of Srinagar city’s sewage is discharged into the lake, while existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are both over-utilised and inadequately maintained. This environmental degradation has inflicted severe repercussions on the livelihoods of the Hanji people, whose traditional way of life is intricately linked to the lake’s health.

In an order issued on 8 May 2024, the tribunal acknowledged the substantial environmental concerns raised by the news report and directed the involvement of key stakeholders.

Among those summoned to respond to the issue are the vice-chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority, the member secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board and the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, as well as the Srinagar deputy commissioner or district magistrate.

The tribunal has given these parties a deadline to submit their responses at least one week prior to the next hearing scheduled for August 21, stating the urgency of addressing the environmental degradation plaguing Dal Lake.