As Jammu and Kashmir is fast losing its glaciers, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in its draft notification has designated three places in Kashmir including Thajwas (Sonmarg) as eco-fragile zone.
The designated zones include Dachigam National Park, Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary and Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Government has been asked to constitute a committee for monitoring the eco-sensitive zones in J&K and promptly outline their boundaries. As per the notification, the Committee should include one expert in ecology and environment, one representative of a non-governmental organization working in the field of environment conservation, an expert in Biodiversity.
It has also asked the Government to regulate development in Eco-sensitive zones and adhere to prohibited and regulated activities to ensure and promote eco-friendly development for security of local communities’ livelihood.
“No new commercial hotels and resorts shall be permitted within one kilometer of the boundary of the Protected Area or upto the extent of Eco-sensitive Zone whichever is nearer…,” reads the draft.
“All new tourist activities or expansion of existing activities shall be in conformity with the Tourism Master Plan and guidelines as applicable”, it reads further.
The designation of Thajwas which includes the tourist resort of Sonamarg as eco-friendly zone comes at a time when the Building Operations Controlling Authority (BOCA) of Sonamarg is pushing for fresh constructions in the Tourist Resort.
It may be mentioned here that the BOCA last year cleared the construction of a hotel of an influential Kashmiri businessman by violating the Supreme Court guidelines, High Court directions and over ruling the observations made by the two important members of the authority.
There were 26 applications seeking repair and fresh constructions but only one fresh construction of an influential businessman and hotelier, Altaf Ahmad son of Saifudin who is the owner of Taj Vivanta was approved.
The High Court put a fresh ban on constructions in Sonamarg in March this year keeping in view that the place is eco-sensitive.
Despite this, the BOCA in May sought creation of new accommodations in Sonamarg which has already crossed the threshold for constructions.
The BOCA chairman has submitted a blueprint for Tourism Development Authority Sonamarg before the High Court seeking permission for creating new accommodation facilities at the Tourist Resort.
The Committee formed by the BOCA chairman has no environmental and forest experts which is a violation of Apex Court guidelines for any such committee which deals with the constructions in eco-fragile zones.
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