Listen to this article:

Srinagar: The Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has dropped the controversial project to construct a new base in the eco-fragile Zabarwan mountain range girdling J&K’s summer capital Srinagar.

The project, it was feared, would cause displacement and widespread damage to the environment in Dachigam National Park besides choking the natural habitat of the critically endangered Kashmiri hangul and other animal species.

A group of locals from Brein locality of Srinagar who were facing prospects of displacement by the project had approached the green tribunal last year.

Appearing in the tribunal on Monday (February 16) for the CRPF’s directorate general and commandant of 79th battalion who were impleaded as ‘Respondent no 8’ and ‘Respondent no 9’ in the case, advocates Gigi C. George and Gyan Chand Meena said that they have “received instructions” that the project has been “dropped”.

The court was informed that the instructions have been conveyed by the in-charge (law) of CRPF inspector general of police (headquarters) Vinod Sawant.

“In view of the subsequent development, nothing........

© The Wire