Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday constituted an “Expert Committee” to determine the buffer zones around Dal Lake and allied water bodies falling under the Srinagar Metropolitan Region.
The order issued by Dr Piyush Singla, Secretary to government in General Administration Department reads that Technical Committee of Experts has been set up to determine the buffers around Dal lake and allied water bodies falling in Srinagar Metropolitan Region with reference to the order dated: 08.09.2022 passed by the High Court in PIL No. 159/2002, titled Syed Iqbal Tahir Geelani V/s State of J&K and Others.
The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh had directed the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) to file an affidavit in compliance with the directions passed regarding re-examining the area of the buffer zones around Dal Lake and building permission in accordance with new Master Plan 2035.
The Expert Committee as per the government order, reviewed by Rising Kashmir, has been tasked to comprehensively examine, after due consultations with the stakeholders, the question of buffers of the Dal and allied water bodies covered by the Srinagar Master Plan 2035, from an environmental/lake ecosystem and urban planning/design point of view for the sustainability and conservation of these water bodies also ensuring that the gains from the efforts over the last two decades are taken to their logical conclusion.
The Committee is to submit a comprehensive report within two months with clear and unambiguous recommendations on the extent of the buffers around these water bodies and the permissible activities that could be allowed in the buffer zones or in such areas beyond the buffers as would be necessary in the interest of the conservation of these water bodies, reads the order.
The members from J&K government who are part of the committee include Vice Chairman, Lake Conservation & Management Authority (Member-Convener); Vice Chairman, Srinagar Development Authority; Representative of Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment, not below the rank of Conservator of Forests; Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Organization, Kashmir; Chief Engineer, Irrigation & Flood Control, Kashmir or his representative having sound knowledge and understanding of lakes and wetlands. While the technical experts who are part of the committee are Dr. A. B. Akolkar, Former Member Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India; Prof. A. A.Qazmi, IIT Roorkee; Prof. MeenakhshiDhote, Environment Planning Department, SPA, New Delhi; Prof. Ariti Grover, Landscape Architecture Department, SPA, New Delhi; Prof. K. K. Pandey, Urban Management, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.
The Master Plan 2035 relaxes the 200 meters limit by defining buffer zones from 20 to 100 meters from the periphery of the concerned water body depending upon the area concerned.
The manner of utilization of the land in the buffer zone is categorized as for purposes of gardens and parks in the Master Plan 2035.
However, the High Court of J&K and Ladakh had on July, 19, 2002, directed that no construction work or even carrying of building material in and around the 200 meters from the centre of the foreshore road be allowed. The only exception provided by the court was for the purposes of grant of permission for repairs and renovations of the existing buildings falling within 200 meters from the centre of the foreshore road.
