Srinagar: Highlighting the importance of providing legal literacy regarding environment, Chief Justice (CJ) High Court, J&K Justice Gita Mittal today said it is imperative that people are educated about the concerns of the environment and more importantly about the legislations related to the environment.
Justice Gita Mittal made these remarks at the plantation drive function organized by the Department of Floriculture in collaboration with the State Legal Services Authority, here at Emporium Garden of Government Arts and Emporium.
Explaining the connection between the court and plantation drive, the CJ said legal services is an integral part of ensuring court’s access to the justice for a common man. “The Legal Services Authority (LSA) is an act which mandates in encouraging legal literacy and the issue of environment falls in the ambit of legal literacy,” Justice Gita Mittal said.
The Chief Justice said that people should know the framework which legislation has provided to ensure the maintenance of the environment.
She urged for the need to create awareness about the environment, plantation, water, air, animals and everything which encompasses ecology.
Concerned over the issue of global warming, Justice Mittal said the impact of global warming is felt world-over. In Kashmir itself the effects of the global warming are felt with melting and shrinkage of glaciers, unwarranted floods, and unwarranted high temperature, the CJ said.
“It is absolutely imperative that people are educated about the concerns of the environment and more importantly about the legislation related to the environment,” she said.
The CJ said instead of calling it as plantation drive, it should be referred to as the “movement”. It is a good beginning, which needs to be carried forward by each individual at their end, she said.
“We are all conscious of the contribution of trees and plants to generate oxygen for us to breath. We are aware with the manner in which trees encourage condensation and result in rains, how they prevent soil erosion and how much they contribute,” Justice Mittal said.
As part of the legal literacy programme of J&K Legal Service Authority, which is headed by Justice Alok Arade, the CJ said that they have conceptualized the programme where children will be educated in this regard. “We want to educate the child as the child is the adult of tomorrow and child will stay with the plants and nature with much longer and hopefully they will carry the message further,” she said.
Appreciating the work of gardeners, the CJ said,” I salute all the gardeners, who with so much of care and hard work grow flowers here in the Emporium garden and in other gardens of the entire Valley.
She said the beautiful sight of the blooming flowers have a magical effect on the onlookers as it can even elevate the dampened spirit.
She went on to give the credit of enhancing the beauty of Kashmir Valley to the gardeners, saying that it is their sincere efforts which are appreciated not only by the locals but by the tourists from world over.
Earlier, the CJ was informed that the plantation drive would be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the target of 25 per cent ornamental plants and trees would be completed in next four weeks, while as the second phase in which 75 percent of plantation would be carried out will be done during the spring of 2019.
In addition to this, Chinar plantation drive would also be initiated during the spring of 2019. Besides, 1500 ornamental plants would be provided to various schools so that the concept of plantation gets inculcated among the young children in their respective schools.
Later, the CJ along with other dignitaries initiated the plantation drive by planting various trees in Emporium garden here.
Judge, HC, J&K, Chairman, State Judicial Academy Justice Alok Aradhe, Registrar General, HC, J&K Sanjay Dhar, Secretary Department of Floriculture Mohammed Javed Khan, Managing Director Government Arts and Emporium Ishtiaq Drabu, Director Board of School Education, G N Itoo, , Director Floriculture MathooraMasoom, Principal Secretary, CJ Jawad Ahmed, Member Secretary J&K SLSA YaspalBourney, Principal Districts and Sessions Judge Srinagar Mohammed Akram Chowdhary, and other legal dignitaries as well as the officials from Floriculture were present on the occasion.
