Srinagar, July 17: The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan Wednesday chaired a high level meeting here to review the arrangements for 73rd Independence Day celebrations across the Kashmir Division.

He directed all Deputy Commissioners to organize grand ceremonies of 73rd Independence Day celebrations on August 15 across the valley.  He further asked them to involve youth clubs and reward them for their best-performing items in the National Event.

The meeting was informed that the main function will be held at SK stadium at Srinagar where the Chief Guest will unfurl the National Flag and take salute during the march past.

 

Various contingents of J&K Police, JKAP, BSF, CRPF, Lady Police, IRP, Fire & Emergency Services, Forest Protection Force, NCC, Different Schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya, ITBP, SSB, SDRF and Home Guards are participating in the march past, officials said.       

Reviewing the security arrangements, the Divisional Commissioner asked for sensitization of foolproof security in and around the main venue.

The Traffic department was directed to identify space for parking of vehicles near the venues and send report to DC Srinagar for further action.

Other arrangements which were discussed include arrangement of proper seating, refreshment, Public Address System, cultural programme, installation of CCTV cameras, illumination of government buildings on the eve of August 15, barricading, PAS for VIP speech, proper sanitation, ceremonial jeep, medical camps, dice, availability of de-watering pumps and SRTC buses for transportation, besides deployment of fire tenders. Doordarshan and Radio will cover the event LIVE for the audiences.     

Information, Education and Culture Departments have been instructed to coordinate with the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar for cultural programmes for the Independence Day celebrations. At the same time he asked concerned departments to finalize the list of participants and send to DC office Srinagar for issuance of non-transferable passes.   

To avoid any technical snag, Information, Cultural Academy, Power Development Departments was instructed to ensure transmission with sound systems on DG sets only. 

Divisional Commissioner also received brief from all Deputy Commissioners and District SPs about the logistic and other preparations put in place for August 15th Independence Day functions in their respective districts.

The Divisional Commissioner asked the civil and police administration to prepare for the sequence of programmes scheduled for the Independence Day across all venues in the valley.

He said that all preparations should be made to ensure a graceful function with necessary security arrangements put in place besides public should be facilitated to reach the venues to participate in the celebrations.

The Divisional Commissioner directed PDD and PHE for uninterrupted Power and water supply in the prescribed locations in the valley. He also directed Health department to deploy adequate number of medical camps at the locations in the valley with proper staff, ambulance and Medicare facilities.

He further asked them to invite all Panchs, Sarpanchs Councillors in the National Event.

The meeting took various decisions to further upgrade the arrangements of the 73rd Independence celebrations in the valley.

Div Com further called for close coordination among the concerned Departments for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the Independence Day across the valley.

Deputy Commissioner  Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal, Additional Commissioner Kashmir Tasaduq Hussain Mir, DIG CRPF, DIG BSF, SSP Security, SSP Traffic, Chief Engineer PHE & UEED, Principal GMC, Director SKIMS, Hospitality & Protocol, Floriculture, GMs of SRTC & Govt Press, RTO Kashmir, Joint Director Information & Education Abid Hussain, Joint Directors of Youth Services & Sports and Fire & Emergency Services, Additional Commissioner SMC, Assistant Director Health Services, RTO Kashmir, Superintending Engineers of PDD, R&B, PHE, officers from BSF, CRPF, ITBP & SSB, Radio, Doordarshan, Cultural Academy and other concerned officers were present in the meeting while as all Deputy Commissioners of the valley participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

Srinagar, July 17:  The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) headed by Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam on Wednesday in its 114th meeting cleared 31 proposals regarding use of 87 hectares of forest land for various developmental projects of public importance.

The FAC after detailed deliberations cleared the proposals in the road, railway, telecom and transmission sectors on the specified terms and conditions.

Financial Commissioner Revenue, Commissioner/Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment Department, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests J&K, Commissioner/Secretary PWD (R&B), Director Soil and Water Conservation Department, J&K,  Director Environment and Remote Sensing Department, J&K, Director Social Forestry Department, J&K, Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, Managing Director State Forest Corporation, J&K, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kashmir, CCF FCA/Member Secretary FAC,J&K, Dr.G A Bhat, Environmentalist, other senior officers of Forest and PMGSY and representatives of User Agencies participated in the meeting.

 

The proposals cleared included widening of Basohli Bani Bhaderwah road by GREF,  construction of road from Dessu to Lehenwan Margan Pass by PMGSY, muck dumping sites for widening of National  Highway by NHAI in Ramban, erection of ground based telecom for rollout of broadband wireless access service to Shri Amarnathji Yatris at Sonamarg/Baltal and in Chandanwari, rural road facilities in Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Ramnagar, Basohli, Ramban, Mahore areas through PMGSY in Jammu region and in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Kashmir division.

While reiterating the directions on ensuring bare minimum felling of trees as far as possible, undertaking compensatory afforestation over alternate land in lieu of diversion of forest land and observance of all FAC conditions, Chief Secretary asked the Forest department to ensure that the Monitoring Committees constituted for the purpose closely monitor the works being undertaken in the forest areas. 

Chief Secretary further asked the User Agencies to strictly adhere to the instructions issued by the Forest Department wherein User Agencies have been asked to consult the officers of the Forest department at the project conceptualization stage, to ensure working out proposals/alignments which involve minimum felling of tress and preservation of flora and fauna.

Srinagar, July 17: The Office of Chairman NGT State Level Monitoring Committee Wednesday directed the Administrative Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department to provide detailed information about the status of implementation of Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules in the State and the physical situation with particular reference to the cities of Jammu and Kashmir.

In an official hand out issued here, the Tribunal directing for strict implementation of rules to ensure scientific disposal of bio-medical waste, added that no laxity or compromise in this regard would be allowed.

The hand out read that Tribunal has been receiving complaints about inadequate and unscientific disposal/dumping of solid waste including bio-medical waste throughout the State and in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar.

 

National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted State Level Monitoring Committees all over country for monitoring the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Ancillary Rules including the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.