Committee for compliance of environment laws in J

Srinagar, June 27 (UNI) A house committee on environment in Jammu and Kashmir has asked development departments to comply with environment laws while executing various projects.

The meeting chaired by Legislative Council Member Ashok Sharma discussed various environment preservation challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir.

Stressing the need for development without destroying the natural resources, Mr Sharma said this was possible only if initiatives were fine-tuned for sustainable development.

Forests, IWDP, Social Forestry, Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Roads and Buildings, Public Health Engineering, Flood Control, Irrigation, Rural Development, Industries, Housing and Urban Development, Power Development, Telecommunication, Traffic and other sectors have to work in a more coordinated manner to achieve the much-needed goal of speedy development without harming the environment.

Mr Sharma called upon the agencies concerned to formulate a comprehensive report on the progress made, present profile and future strategies of the departments with regard to steps being taken for preservation of environment as required under the law.

Environment considerations have become essential for survival of human beings as well as fauna and flora, he added.

The MLC said the environment subject should be introduced in the curriculum at various stages of education system so that young minds are made aware of the present and future challenges on this front.

There was a great need for adopting corrective methodology to get optimum results, he added.

Mr Sharma said the NGOs and people at large should be associated with all the initiatives for achieving tangible results. A time- bound calendar of activities for awareness generation should be formulated and strictly followed for the purpose, he added.

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