The Committee on Environment of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today asked the state government to strictly impose complete ban on polythene bags in the state.The Committee which met today under the Chairmanship of MLA M.Y. Tarigami reviewed the 3rd report of the Committee which has already been submitted by the Committee in the House in Budget Session 2018-19.Legislators, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, Mohammad Abbas Wani, Abdul Rahim Rather, Bashir Ahmed Dar, Daleep Singh Parihar, Neelam Kumar Langeh, Gulzar Ahmed Wani and Ishfaq Ahmed Sheikh attended the meeting and gave their suggestions.The Committee expressed concern over slow pace of construction work on National Highway from Ramban to Banihal due to which the locals face lot of problems especially during rainy season. The Committee directed the construction Company, to expedite work on four-lanning of the stretch of Ramban to Banihal particularly from Maitra to Ramban.The Committee also expressed concern over non-compliance on the directions issued by it during the inspection of Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to check increasing pollution in the tunnel.
After examining the scenario inside the Tunnel, the Committee had observed that there was a need to evolve an effective mechanism to monitor and minimize the pollution inside and outside the tunnel.The Committee also desired to seek an expert opinion on environment assessment so that a proper mechanism is followed to safeguard human health. It further asked the concerned construction agency to conduct more such surprise visits in future in order to ensure improvement of the tunnel.The Committee also directed the concerned authorities to submit action taken report on the suggestions and directions given by the Committee during their visit and submit the same to the Assembly Secretariat.It was decided in the meeting that the Forest, Environment and Ecology department to be discussed in the next of the Committee. Among others, Additional Secretary Assembly, Naseem Jan and others senior officers and official of Assembly Secretariat were also present in the meeting.