Hon’ble Member, National Green Tribunal, Dr. Afroz Ahmad Chairs Review Meeting on Compliance with NGT Directions for District Environment Plan, Kargil.

Hon’ble Member, National Green Tribunal, Dr. Afroz Ahmad Chairs Review Meeting on Compliance with NGT Directions for District Environment Plan, Kargil.
Kargil, October 21, 2026: A meeting to review progress on compliance with the judgments and directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the formulation and implementation of the District Environment Plan for Kargil was held today at the Conference Hall, Baroo, Kargil, under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Dr. Afroz Ahmad, Member, National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar, IAS, Ankit Sinha, IFS, Chief Planning Officer (CPO), Kargil, Superintending Engineer, PWD, District Panchayat Officer (DPO), Kargil, Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD), Assistant Director Handicrafts and other concerned officers and officials.
A comprehensive review was conducted on environmental protection in Kargil, focusing on solid and biomedical waste management, air and noise pollution, and conservation of natural resources.
Deputy Commissioner Kargil presented a detailed overview of the initiatives undertaken and outlined the way forward for a Green and Sustainable Kargil Town. Key priorities included improving waste segregation, collection and processing; ensuring sustainable tourism and clean public spaces; promoting community participation and behavioural change; complete elimination of single-use plastic (SUP) items; maintaining clean and healthy water bodies; and expanding the water quality monitoring network.
The Hon’ble Member appreciated the Deputy Commissioner and District Administration Kargil for initiatives regarding environmental protection and implementation of orders/judgements of Hon’ble National Green Tribunal.
Dr. Afroz Ahmad stressed the need for establishing an interpretation centre within a compact area to create greater environmental awareness and promote local employment opportunities. He also emphasized exploring revenue generation from waste and adopting best practices from successful waste-management models, including those in Indore, and advised the Deputy Commissioner to undertake a study visit.
During the meeting, the functioning of waste collection systems under MG Marga was also discussed. It was informed that 33 waste-collection vehicles are presently available and waste is collected from different locations on a weekly basis. Dr. Afroz Ahmad directed that GPS tracking systems be installed in the vehicles to improve monitoring and accountability. He also stressed the need to extend the Swachhata App-based monitoring mechanism to rural areas.
The issue of plastic waste was discussed in detail. The administration informed that plastic items have been banned in the area and strict penalties would be imposed for violations. Measures concerning air and noise pollution were also reviewed.
The meeting reviewed air and water quality monitoring by the Ladakh Pollution Control Committee, with parameters generally found within prescribed standards.
Dr. Afroz Ahmad called for coordinated efforts among all departments, promotion of green spaces and parks, riverbank plantation and initiatives linking environmental conservation with employment generation. He emphasized that an eco-economic approach should remain central to Kargil’s sustainable development.
The meeting concluded with a call for stronger inter-departmental coordination and effective implementation of environmental measures in letter and spirit.