SRINAGAR: On 29 November 2022, chairman, Building Operation Controlling Authority (BOCA), of the Sonmarg Development Authority held a meeting for fresh constructions and repairs in Sonmarg health resort, while two important members—Chief Town Planner of Kashmir and Regional Director of Environment & Remote Sensing—were not present.
Many environmentalists and senior citizens of Ganderbal have raised an alarm about the holding of such meetings despite clear ban by the J&K High Court and have raised questions about the “pressure” being exerted by some influential hoteliers to get the nod for constructions in Sonmarg. It is in place to mention that the J&K High Court had directed the Sonmarg Development Authority to ensure that no construction is carried out within the peripheries of the Sonmarg Tourist Resort and had also asked for the map of the area.
In its earlier direction, the court has said, “We have noticed that constructions are taking place in Sonmarg. We direct that no constructions shall be carried out till further orders.” The entire controversy started when Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, who is the chairman of Building Operation Controlling Authority (BOCA), held a meeting regarding constructions and repairs in the Sonmarg health resort.
On 30 November 2022, Regional Director of Environment & Remote Sensing wrote a letter to CEO Sonmarg Development Authority (SDA) who is the member secretary of BOCA raising his concerns. He had dispatched a junior officer in the meeting earlier.
About the fresh constructions, he pointed to the earlier BOCA meeting about the repairs he has said that they should be allowed subject to conditions and there should be valid legal construction permission even for the repair cases. Similarly, Chief Town Planner of Kashmir has dispatched a letter to CEO SDA on 30 November 2022, raising objections about the decisions taken in the meeting.
He has clearly said in his letter that “all such cases seeking fresh/new constructions within Sonmarg master plan area and approved by BOCA in its 23rd meeting as on 29 November 2022 may be put on hold till the decisions of the 22nd BOCA meeting and the observations of the undersigned and Regional Director, DEERS are taken to logical conclusion”.
These two letters by two senior officers forced CEO Sonmarg Development Authority to write a letter to Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal regarding the 23rd BOCA meeting, saying that it was not advisable to implement any decisions taken regarding constructions and repairs in light of the letters by two senior officers who are members of the BOCA Sonmarg.
CEO SDA on 30 November 2022 had written a letter to Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, mentioning about the communication of Chief Town Planner of Kashmir and Regional Director of Environment & Remote Sensing.
Environmentalists and some prominent citizens of the Ganderbal area said that it is due to their alarm that the officers have communicated to Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal about the objections regarding the fresh construction at Sonmarg health resort. They have appealed to Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir to probe why the 23rd meeting of the BOCA was held in such haste when two important members were not present in the meeting.
When this reporter tried to contact CEO SDA, he refused to comment about the meeting and communication and said that they have officially taken up the matter. The Sonmarg health resort is under stress as the fragile green bowl is already witnessing a construction boom as dozens of hotels are being constructed due to the permission given to them in the earlier BOCA meetings of SDA.