NGT seeks action-taken report on waste dumping in J&K's Wular lake

New Delhi, July 10 The National Green Tribunal on Friday directed the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district to submit an action-taken report on alleged dumping of municipal solid waste in Wular Lake around Ningli Tarzoo.

"In view of the allegation and the photographs, we find it necessary to require a factual and action taken report from the Member Secretary, State Wetland Authority, Collector, Baramulla and the State Pollution Control Board before the next date," ordered a bench headed by Chairperson, Justice A.K. Goel. The matter will now be taken up on October 15.

The lake in question is a wetland and a Ramsar site and is thus an eco-sensitive area, petitioner Raja Muzaffar Bhat claimed, adding that the dumping of waste is not only violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules but also Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules.

A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Convention on Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental environmental treatyAwhich came into force in 1975.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism's website, Wular Lake is the second largest fresh-water lake of Asia, situated on the foothills of Haramuk Mountain.

It is spread in a total area of 200 square km, covering almost 24 km in length while its breadth is 10 km. The lake lies between the towns of Sopore and Bandipore.

( With inputs from IANS )