HC asks CTP, EE&RSD to cooperate with SDA to complete satellite imagery for Sonamarg

SRINAGAR, JAN 03: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has directed the Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Organization, Kashmir and the Director Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing Department Srinagar to render cooperation to Sonamarg Development Authority (SDA) in completing the process of satellite imagery for the golden meadow.
In an order past last week, a division bench of Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice M. A. Chowdhary passed the orders after submissions by a government advocate, appearing for the SDA that while the process of getting the satellite imagery “is in good progress, ….the same involves consultation with Chief Town Planner, Town Planning Organization, Kashmir and Director Ecology, Environment & Remote Sensing Department, Srinagar.”

“Copy of this order may be furnished to all the authorities so that there shall be no delay on their part to render cooperation to the SDA,” the court said.
Pertinently as regards accommodation of Hotels and Huts & integrated tourist resorts, SDA informed the court on a previous hearing that for Hotels, the proposed area as per the Master Plan is 8.87 hectares and the proposed plinth area is 5.26 hectares. Out of it, the SDA said, already 3.25 hectares of plinth area has been consumed, thus leaving the plinth area of 1.98 hectares for Hotels. As regards Huts & Integrated tourist resorts, the SDA said the proposed area as per the Master Plan is 26.20 hectares.
“Be that as it may, the …..proposed land use would be completed once the proper satellite imagery is provided by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC). Thus, it appears that the aforesaid figures are tentative in nature which would be finalized only after obtaining proper satellite imagery,” the court had said in the previous order,” the court had said, adding, “Under the circumstances, we are of the view that it may not be appropriate for us to pass any definitive order allowing or not allowing the various applications filed for repairing/construction of Hotels/Huts and Integrated tourist resorts, which can be done only after obtaining the final and comprehensive report from the Sonamarg Development Authority.”