The green bench of the Lahore High Court directed Environment Protection Department and Water and Sanitation Agency to submit revised list of all the industries causing water pollution in the River Ravi by June 1.

Earlier Additional Secretary Environment submitted a list of industries mentioning 283 factories causing water pollution, while Wasa Director mentioned 520 factories in his report.

At this the court asked for revised and complete report having details of all the factories.

Rs 540-cr project to irrigate 1.05 lakh acres; likely to turn Jammu into foodgrain surplus region
Jammu: The ambitious Ravi Canal project, which will draw 1,150 cusecs of water from the Ravi river in Kathua district and irrigate 1.05 lakh acres of agricultural land in the state, is finally cruising towards the take-off stage. The project will not only make the Jammu region self-sufficient in food grain production but may also result in surplus productivity.

Taking up its first case involving an environmental issue, a Lahore High Court “Green Bench” comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought appearance of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) officers concerned to explain alleged disposal of wastewater into the Ravi.

LHC Chief Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed had on April 5 last constituted ‘Green Benches’ in the high court as well as ‘Green Courts’ at districts level to hear cases relating to environmental issues or interest litigation.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Irrigation Department to moot a proposal for amending the Northern India Canal and Drainage Act to check the growing malpractice of water theft in the state. In a meeting held to review the functioning of the department this morning, Badal asked the Chief Engineer (Canals) to submit a comprehensive proposal for making amendments to the Act on the pattern of Haryana and Rajasthan.

Realising that illegal mining from the Ravi in Kathua district is posing a threat to the road and rail bridges on the Jammu-Pathankot road, the Kathua Deputy Commissioner has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC near the river.

Zahida Khan, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, told The Tribune over the phone that after getting a number of complaints in this regard, the administration imposed the ban order.

Himachal House panel reccomends action against the companies for failing to ensure minimum prescribed flow of water
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly’s standing committee on Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) has found hydro-power companies — both in the public and private sectors — defying mandatory provisions of the power policy regarding the maintenance of a minimum water discharge of 15 per cent in the rivers.

River Indus is in low floods at Chashma with a flow of 2,55,800 cusecs and River Ravi at Balloki with a discharge of 44,000 cusecs, Flood Warning Centre said, here on Monday. It said all other rivers are in below low floods at all vintage points.

The Meteorological Department has said that a fresh trough of westerly wave is moving over Northern parts of the country.

Even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took up the issue of the Ranjit Sagar dam vis-

Pakistan and India on Thursday made no headway to resolve Wullar Barrage dispute as both sides were not ready to change their historical stance, informed sources told Business Recorder.