Srinagar: The J&K high court has directed the Central Water Commission to ensure continuous monitoring of the water level in the River Jehlum and asked it install such equipment as is necessary keeping in view the public interest involved in wake of the floods.
“The Central Water Commission shall ensure that it continues with the monitoring of the water level in the River Jehlum,” a division bench of Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rashid Ali Dar.
“For this purpose, the Commission shall stand permitted to install such equipment as is necessary keeping in view the public interest involved.”Also a status report dated 4th June 2019 was filed by Sr. AAG B A Dar. “The details of the several steps have been taken by the State Government for preparing a concrete plan of action on the issue of flooding,” the court said.
“Again, we find that the status report and the annexures has not been furnished to the other side. Furthermore, no details of the annexures have been mentioned in the index.
We are unable to understand as how the Registry is accepting the same in this format,” the court said and asked the Registrar Judicial to ensure that all requirements are complied with in future.“Given the importance of the matter and the several steps which have been taken, it would see that the steps which have already been taken deserve to be put in the public domain so that there are no unwarranted objections,” the court added while hearing the Public Interest Litigations.
The court asked advocate Nadeem Qadiri, amicus curiae, to place before it a summary of the waterways and various water bodies which are the subject matter of all the five public interest litigations; the court orders which have been made with regard thereto and the steps which have been already taken or are required to be taken.
“Let such a summary be placed before this Court. The summary shall not be more than three pages. Copy thereof shall be shared with all the parties and the authorities who are before us within four weeks from today,” the court added.
