Srinagar, May 03: Amid rising environmental concerns, the Jammu and Kashmir government has intensified its enforcement drive, issuing 656 closure orders against polluting industrial units in 2024–25 and seizing over 530 quintals of banned polythene and single-use plastic in the last three years.
As per the official data available with Rising Kashmir, penalties totaling nearly Rs. 20 lakh were imposed on violators during this period, while over 1,676 public awareness and anti-pollution drives were carried out to curb degradation and promote sustainable practices across the Union Territory.
Acknowledging that urbanization, industrial growth, and infrastructure expansion are putting pressure on natural resources, the government as per the official document in response, has enforced various legal frameworks such as the Environmental Protection Act (1986), the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act (1974), and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act (1981).
To ensure compliance, industrial units are required to follow environmental norms related to waste discharge, emissions, and overall pollution control.
It said that the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee has intensified monitoring, issuing 564 closure orders in 2024 and 92 more in 2025 so far. 75 legal complaints have also been filed in the last two years against violators.
The administration is also focusing on public awareness through campaigns under the Information, Education and Communication initiative with activities such as plantation drives, plastic reduction campaigns, waste management awareness, and distribution of cloth bags have been organized consistently. In 2023–24 alone, 1,327 such activities were carried out, while 349 have taken place so far in 2024–25.
Strict enforcement of the ban on single-use plastic (SUP) continues, with penalties amounting to over Rs. 6.6 lakh in 2021–22, Rs. 9.3 lakh in 2022–23, and Rs. 3.6 lakh up to December 2023, it said adding that Over 530 quintals of polythene and SUP have been seized during this period.
Regarding the use of forest land for development projects, it said that only the minimum required land is approved, and all cases are processed with due diligence on the PARIVESH portal.
From 1997 to October 2019, over 6,948 hectares of forest land were diverted for roads, railways, and national infrastructure projects. Since November 2019, an additional 459 hectares have been used for similar purposes under stricter guidelines.
It further said that to minimize environmental loss, several compensatory and mitigatory measures are being implemented which include Compensatory Afforestation, Catchment Area Treatment, Wildlife and Biodiversity Management Plans, Solid Waste and Air-Water Management Plans, and Slope Stabilization measures. In ecologically fragile zones, geological assessments are mandated to evaluate the impact of proposed projects.
On the policy front, it said that there is no immediate plan to introduce a new forest policy, as a comprehensive policy document from 2011 remains in effect and continues to guide forest management and conservation efforts across the Union Territory.
