HC notice to authorities on PIL over boundary ‘dispute’ between Kargil & Ganderbal  

Srinagar, July 26: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has treated a letter by a councillor of LAHDC(Kargil) with the subject: “Save Ladakh’s Environment, Ecology and Land from Encroachers and Resolve the Boundary Dispute between District Kargil Of UT Ladakh and District Ganderbal of  J&K” as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and sought response from respective authorities to it.  
Hearing the PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice(acting) Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Rajnesh Oswal issued notice to Ladakh UT’s Chief Secretary, its Principal Secretary to Forest Department and Additional Director General of Police as well as Deputy Commissioner Kargil, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir  and Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, seeking their response by August 28.

The letter dated 1 July this year was addressed to the Chief Justice by Abdul Wahid, Councillor 2-Bhimbet Constituency, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil.
The letter was placed before the Chief Justice (Acting) and same was directed to be treated as PIL and listed before the appropriate Bench.
In the letter, “deep” concern had been expressed over the safety of the environment and ecology of Ladakh. It was averred in the letter that the residents of District Ganderbal have encroached upon the land of Ladakh under the garb that the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has divided the snow area land into equal proportions and this action on part of the inhabitants of Ganderbal has endangered the flora and fauna of the Ladakh region which being a threat to the environment and ecology of the said region.
Further it has been pleaded that the traffic movement and allied rules governing the subject were being applied to impede only Ladakh people who were made to suffer from various aspects whereas the tourist vehicles as well as heavy vehicles without any restrictions were being allowed to move throughout the year.