WE THE PEOPLE
Despite ban on entry of Polythene, there is no let-up in its sale and usage in Kashmir valley
Hence conscientious Citizens Urge State functionaries to enforce Court orders to safeguard health of people without any further delay
By: M. Shirjeel
Srinagar: Once humans disturb Allah’s ecology and environment, they are bound to suffer and suffer beyond their imagination. Its ill effects have become visible all over the globe today. No doubt, environmental pollution and health hazards caused by our own doings date back to the history and progress of the human civilization. Environmental pollution can be classified as air-pollution, water-pollution, land-pollution, radiation-pollution and noise pollution. All these lead to a number of health hazards. It is a paradox of our times that any development is accompanied by environmental degradation. In his quest for wealth and comforts, man has ignored Nature’s law and thus disturbed a number of natural cycles resulting in environmental pollution and health hazards. Therefore, there is an urgent need for increasing public awareness for the conservation and protection of our environment.
All kudos to judiciary that has understood such signals and initially in a case of S.R. Institute v/s State of J&K and others, the Division Bench of J&K High Court gave a landmark direction, directing complete ban on entry, use and sale of polythene bags, more particularly of less than 20 microns in the tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg, in and around Dal Lake, Mughal Gardens and Hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu cities with effect from 1st June 2006. The Chief Secretary had been directed to issue all consequential orders for imposing this ban and direct all concerned authorities to enforce it. The Court had also directed to evolve a mechanism for enforcing this ban from the prescribed date which might entail putting-up of barricades at entry points, deployment of requisite staff and engagement of adequate anti-polythene workers for preventing sale, use and littering of bags and for their removal etc. Further all shopkeepers, traders, managements of hotels and other establishments in these prohibited areas had been restrained from selling/trading/using polythene cary bags. Any violator of these directions was to be dealt with under law of the land.
“ It is a fact that many citizens and some NGOs have all along been pleading against use of polythene bags, but with no effect at all. Tonnes of polythene bags are entering into the Valley daily with no one to check such inflow of the item, which is pernicious to human health. It is generally seen that if a polythene bag is buried underground, it continues to remain intact after several years and in the process affects fertility of the soil quite adversely. It is also astonishing as to how the State Government has allowed setting-up of polythene units in several Industrial Estates of Kashmir Valley. Kudos to State Judiciary that has stepped in and issued directions to the State functionaries to ban the use of polythene bags in the State. It is equally strange that officials of Municipalities have been acting as mute spectators and not initiating action against the use of polythene bags in their respective jurisdictions. Littering of any waste material and garbage is an offence under the Municipal Law, but it remains unchecked and uncontrolled. The inaction of the Municipal authorities and their failure to discharge their statutory obligation in this regard is writ large on the prevailing sanitation situation all over the Valley”, said a group of elderly persons of Kashmir valley.
But it is encouraging to notice that the State’s Top Judiciary is seized of the issue and is on record to have directed all concerned State functionaries including Director Tourism, the Chairman PCB and Chief Executive Officers of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg Development Authorities, the Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police of the respective Districts, VC LAWDA, VC SDA, Administrators of Hospitals and Management of Private Hospitals and all others to take effective steps to enforce the ban in their respective areas of jurisdiction. All these authorities have been impressed upon that they shall be responsible and accountable for enforcing the ban and any violation or breach shall render them liable to consequential action under law. It is a forceful order, but it is for the people of the State in general and Valley in particular to see the writing on the wall and play their role in implementing the Court direction. The Court order is purely in the interest of human beings and the ecology, which has direct bearing on our survival. Hence, both public and State Functionaries should join hand to curb the menace so that health hazard is kept at bay. The sooner this is done the better!
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