The National Green Tribunal disposed of an environmental case on February 16 after the Central Reserve Police Force confirmed it had abandoned plans to build a battalion camp on 1,324 kanals of land in Srinagar’s Brain locality.
The CRPF had planned to establish a camp for its 61st, 79th, 117th, and 132nd battalions in the Brain area of Khanyar tehsil in Srinagar district. The site sits within a green zone near protected wildlife corridors and serves as habitat for the critically endangered Kashmiri stag and the Asiatic black bear.
Local residents filed a petition with the NGT alleging multiple environmental violations. The plea cited the risk of large-scale tree felling, the absence of a carbon footprint assessment, and the site’s proximity to a protected area.
Tribunal’s Decision
A bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel disposed of the petition after receiving confirmation that the project would not proceed.
“The counsel for respondents 8 and 9 has submitted that he has received instructions from Vinod Sawant, in-charge (law) for IGP headquarters, that the proposal to set up the battalion camping site on the above piece of land has been dropped,” the bench stated in its order.
The tribunal had first issued notices to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and others in September last year.
Community Response
Advocate Saurabh Sharma, who represented the petitioners, welcomed the outcome. “I am glad that the site will be left untouched now and continue to have a thriving wildlife and vibrant environment,” he said.
Ghulam Mohiuddin, one of the petitioners, called it a broader victory. “It is good news for the whole of Kashmir. We are extremely thankful to the judges. The court has prevented our heaven from becoming a hell,” he told The Wire.
The NGT also disposed of a pending interlocutory application in the same order.
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