A meeting of the Committee on Environment of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was held here today under the Chairmanship of MLA, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami to discuss the environment related issues pertaining to the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UD).The Committee discussed various issues regarding the present status of Solid Waste Management, drainage and sanitation services besides garbage dumping sites for the people within the administrative jurisdiction of Jammu Municipal Corporation.Legislators, Javed Ahmed Rana, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, Bashir Ahmed Dar, Anjum Fazili, Abdul Rahim Rather, Sheikh IshfaqJabbar, Rajesh Gupta, Usman Abdul Majid and Mumtaz Ahmed Khan attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions for saving the environment.The Chairman constituted a Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of MLA, Javed Ahmed Rana to look into the sewerage related issues in Jammu East constituency highlighted by MLA Jammu East Rajesh Gupta in the meeting.The sub Committee will visit the sewerage project sites to ascertain the factual position and submit its report within a week’s time before the Environment Committee.
The Committee directed the concerned department to submit a comprehensive report on action taken by the department on suggestions and measures given by the previous Committee on the working of existing stone crusher and brick kilns in the state. It also stressed upon the need of devising a proper mechanism to keep a check on functioning of these units.Other issues deliberated upon in the meeting included environment concerns besides the need of encouraging public transport instead of individual vehicles was stressed upon.Chairman, Pollution Control Board, B Siddhartha Kumar, Director, Urban Local Bodies Jammu, Sushma Chauhan and Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Ramesh Kumar also briefed the Committee about the functioning of their respective departments besides apprising the meeting of progress on measures being undertaken to minimize the pollution level in the state.Director Environment, O P Sharma, Development Commissioners Udhampur, Ramban, Jammu, Kathua, Doda, Samba, ADCs, Engineers, senior officers of concerned departments besides Secretary, Legislative Assembly, M R Singh attended the meeting.