High court asks J&K administration to reply in 2 weeks in Tawi river water discharge case

The PIL was filed by inhabitants of villages Barjala and Khandwal through Gurdev Singh and Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, who highlighted the devastation caused by flash floods during monsoon every year in and around 45 villages in Niki Tawi area

Taking cognisance of a public interest litigation (PIL), a division bench of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh high court comprising on Thursday directed the administration to file its response within two weeks to the fresh miscellaneous application. The PIL was filed by inhabitants of villages Barjala and Khandwal through Gurdev Singh and Ghulam Nabi Sheikh, who highlighted the devastation caused by flash floods during monsoon every year in and around 45 villages in Niki Tawi area.

The next hearing in the case is schedules for September 25. (Shutterstock)

Senior additional advocate general SS Nanda appeared for the irrigation and flood control department.

They attributed the reason to diversion of over 95% of the discharge of Tawi river in Niki Tawi from fourth bridge over River Tawi. The petitioners had sought appropriate directions to the irrigation and flood control department to divert the discharge of river Tawi from fourth bridge near Bhagwati Nagar to the main Tawi river.

“More than 95% of the discharge of main Tawi river has been diverted to Niki Tawi, which is creating havoc every year during monsoon thereby destroying the proprietary land of inhabitants of over 45 villages.

The case will be heard again on September 25.