The Jammu and Kashmir High Court closed a Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed on the deteriorating condition of the Doodhganga Stream and Doodhganga Filtration Plant.
The PIL was initiated on the basis of a news item that came to be published in the daily newspaper in its edition dated 1st August 2019. The news item disclosed that heaps of garbage were lying around Doodhganga Filtration Plant built in the year 1972 which supplied water to more than two lac people in different areas of Srinagar.
Accordingly, a Division Bench of the High Court took cognizance of the news item and issued notice at the first instance to J&K Pollution Control Board, Department of Public Health Engineering and Srinagar Municipal Corporation.
Thereafter several directions have been passed to ensure that the pollution in and around the Doodganga Stream and Doodganga Filtration Plant is eradicated.
Respondents have also filed their compliance reports from time to time.
A response filed by Shaqir Haqani, amicus to the compliance report filed by the Pollution Control Board reveals that a similar application raising the issue which has been raised in this appeal was filed before the National Green Tribunal [NGT].
The response of the Amicus further discloses that NGT has taken cognizance of the matter and issued several directions from time to time. The order dated 8th March 2022 passed by NGT Delhi has been placed on record.
From perusal of order dated 8th March 2022 passed by NGT, Delhi, the Division Bench of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice M.A. Chowdhary held that the issue is pending consideration of the NGT Delhi and a very effective direction has been passed to tackle the issue of pollution of Doodhganga Stream and Doodhganga Filtration Plant.
In view of the above, the Bench was satisfied that with the intervention of NGT, Delhi, the needful shall be done by the Union Territory of J&K to prevent the pollution and environmental degradation of Doodganga Stream and Doodganga Filtration Plant.
The NGT is still seized of the matter and is monitoring the implementation of the directions issued from time to time, observed the High Court.