Srinagar, Dec 31: The High Court (HC) Friday asked the Regional Director of Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board (PCB) to file a report attesting to stone crushers and the macadam plants causing environmental hazards.
Hearing an application in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by two residents of village Badwan Wanapora of Gurez, a division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Javed Iqbal Wani sought the report by March 7, the next date of hearing.
“The petitioners appear to be concerned about the environmental hazards and want the stone crushers and macadam plants under construction to be stopped to preserve the environment,” the court said. “The Regional Director, J&K Pollution Control Board, may submit a report about the stone crushers or the macadam plants which may be causing environmental hazards.”
In their plea, Noor Muhammad Lone and Ghulam Muhammad Lone have alleged that the authorities concerned had failed to discharge statutory duties against the raising of illegal and unauthorised construction of stone crusher and macadam plant adjacent to their land which they claim was an “eco-fragile” area in Gurez, Bandipora.
They said that these plants had wreaked havoc on the ecosystem and caused a disastrous impact on the flora and fauna.