NGT Serves Notice to Sonmarg Officials for the Conservation of Himalayan Brown Bear Habitat
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New Delhi, Jan 5 (NationPress) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the CEO of the Sonmarg Development Authority, the Director General of Rural Sanitation, and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) to address concerns related to the diminishing habitat of the Himalayan Brown Bear. This decline is attributed to inadequate waste management practices in the Sonmarg region of Jammu and Kashmir.
The tribunal acted on its own initiative after a news article titled 'Saving Kashmir Brown Bears is a Race Against Time Wildlife SOS and J&K Wildlife Protection Dept. take challenge' was published in July 2024.
Recognizing the need for input from the aforementioned officials, the NGT required them to submit their responses via affidavit no later than one week prior to the next hearing.
The next hearing is scheduled for April 22. The report emphasized that the habitat of the Himalayan Brown Bear is under threat due to improper waste disposal and management in the Sonmarg area of Kashmir.
According to the article, Wildlife SOS has partnered with the J&K Wildlife Protection Department to conduct research on Himalayan brown bears, focusing on the causes of human-bear conflicts in Sonmarg.
The report indicated that a study conducted by Wildlife SOS in 2021 revealed that 75% of the bears' diet consisted of human-generated waste, including plastics, chocolates, and organic refuse.
It was noted that there is limited knowledge regarding the ecology and behavior of bears in India, resulting in severe threats to their populations from various factors such as tourism, construction, livestock grazing, agriculture, urban development, highways, railroads, tunneling, and poaching.
In its ruling, the NGT stated that the news report raised significant concerns regarding adherence to environmental regulations, particularly the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Previously, the tribunal had included Wildlife SOS, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the J&K Pollution Control Board, and the District Magistrate of Kupwara in the proceedings.
“Direct the above respondents to submit their responses at least one week before the next hearing date,” ordered the tribunal led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava.
