Non-Serious approach

16/10/2017

Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that four wetland reserves of Jammu province, which were notified under the provisions of J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978 over three and half decades back, have yet not been formally handed over to the Wildlife Protection Department by the Revenue Department for their proper conservation. The absolute non-serious approach of the concerned authorities is notwithstanding the fact that Division Bench of State High Court both in Jammu and Srinagar is repeatedly issuing directions for conservation of all the wetlands so as to avert the threats of floods. Forest Department vide Order No.FST/20 of 1981 dated February 4, 1981 accorded the sanction to notify five wetlands of Jammu province namely Pargwal, Gharana, Sangral, Kukrian and Nanga in pursuance to the Cabinet Decision No.35 dated February 2, 1981 under the provision of J&K Wildlife Protection Act, 1978. In the Cabinet decision as well as order of the Forest Department the area of Pargwal wetland reserve was reflected as 12154 acre while as that of Kukrian wetland reserve as 6000 acre. Similarly, the area of Sangral wetland reserve was mentioned as 1729 acre and that of Nanga wetland reserve as 3781 acre. It is pertinent to mention here that the boundaries of Pargwal wetland reserve are spread over to Chak Malpur, Battan Balla, Takho Chak, Chicken Neck area, Bhatairi, Sarkapur and Chak Karpal villages while as area of Kukrian wetland reserve is spread to Batore, Bangore, Kukrian, Sandun andMakwal villages. Likewise, the area of Sangral wetland reserve is spread over to Assa Chak, Kulian, Tankanwali, Raipur Saiydan and Chandu Chak villages and Nanga wetland reserve is spread over to Purpur, Tanda, Chak Paras and Nanga villages. All these four wetlands as well as Gharana wetland reserve are situated close to the India-Pakistan International Border.
Though 36 years have lapsed since the notification of these wetland reserves under Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act, 1978 yet no step has been taken so far for formally handing over these wetlands to the Wildlife Protection Department, sources said while disclosing that Wildlife Protection Department has written numerous letters to the Revenue Department seeking formally handing over of wetlands but what to talk of compliance even no written response has been given to the Wildlife Protection Department. Neither the Revenue Department nor the Wildlife Protection Department is aware of actual area of these wetland reserves. Moreover, they don't know how much area of these wetlands has shrunk during these 36 years and it is also not known how much area of these wetlands has been encroached by the people living in the villages in the vicinity of these water bodies.

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