Srinagar, Aug 19: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to the Jammu & Kashmir government over alleged unscientific waste dumping at Ohangam in Beerwah by the Rural Development Department (RDD), Block Rathsun, Budgam.

The Principal Bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Prakash Srivastava, Chairperson, also directed the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) to conduct a spot inspection and submit factual details to the tribunal.

The JKPCC team had already visited the site in June this year after locals protested against alleged illegal dumping of waste and the setting up of a waste processing site in the area.

The petitioner, Raja Muzaffar Bhat, raised a grievance over the alleged illegal and unscientific dumping of municipal solid waste in village Ohangam, Block Rathsun, Budgam.

In his original application (OA), the petitioner alleged that the Assistant Commissioner Panchayat, Budgam, and Block Development Officer, Rural Development Block, Rathsun, were involved in dumping waste at Ohangam for the last few years against the wishes of local residents.

He alleged that waste was being dumped near the main road, surrounded by three water canals, in violation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016/2026.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Saurabh Sharma, submitted geotagged photographs and a JKPCC inspection report in support of the allegations. The report stated that waste was being dumped along the Ohangam-Rathsun-Soibugh road, a major district road connecting nearby villages.

The report said the site was about 125 metres from an educational institution and around 120 metres from the nearest house. It was surrounded by orchards, while stray dogs were seen roaming around the dumping site.

It also noted foul smell from the dumped waste, causing inconvenience to road users and public nuisance.

The JKPCC report said the RDD, Budgam, Assistant Commissioner Panchayat and BDO Rathsun were responsible for ensuring segregation, processing and scientific disposal of waste under the applicable rules.

The NGT order said the application raised “substantial issues relating to compliance of the environmental norms” and directed notices to the respondents.

The tribunal directed JKPCC to ascertain the status of the alleged illegal dumping and, if the allegations were found correct, take appropriate punitive and remedial measures. It also directed the committee to submit an action-taken report at least a week before the next hearing.

“It is ironic that tons of untreated waste has been dumped at Ohangam in the last two years by RDD Rathsun block and the site selection was not done by local Halqa Majlis/Gram Sabha,” Dr Raja Muzaffar said.

He alleged that the department was now planning to set up a plastic waste processing plant at the site, which he termed illegal.

“The site cannot be set up without the consent of Halqa Majlis (Gram Sabha) and it violates the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 itself and MSW Rules 2026. Let the government allocate land for this unit in an industrial estate,” he said.

The case is listed for the next hearing on October 29.

Srinagar, Aug 19: United States Ambassador Sergio Gor on Wednesday described Jammu and Kashmir as “an important part of India” during his first visit to the Union Territory.

Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, made the remarks after a meeting with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the latter’s Gupkar residence.

Standing alongside Abdullah, he told reporters: “As everybody here knows, I am the US ambassador to India. And this is an important part of India. And so I’m here visiting for the first time. It is an incredibly beautiful place and I am thrilled to be here.”

The two-day visit to J&K and Ladakh is the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to J&K and Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

It is also the first such engagement after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were killed, and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor.

The last meeting between a serving US ambassador and a sitting J&K CM took place in 2011, when Timothy Roemer called on Omar Abdullah.

The last standalone visit by a US envoy was by Kenneth Juster in 2018.

Gor described the interaction as “very warm” and “very cordial.”

In a post on X, he said he had appreciated the chance to learn about CM Omar’s priorities.

“We discussed ways to deepen economic collaboration and create opportunities that would mutually benefit both of our nations,” he said.

One of the most closely watched remarks concerned the US travel advisory.

The State Department currently maintains a Level 4 “do not travel” warning for J&K (except eastern Ladakh and Leh), citing terrorism and civil unrest.

The advisory has long been a concern for the J&K administration as it seeks to attract more international tourists.

Gor indicated Washington would examine whether it should be downgraded.

“The United States puts out travel warnings. And every so often we re-evaluate travel warnings. I cannot make any big announcements here today, but it is something we are going to look at,” he said.

Gor credited New Delhi, CM Omar, and the J&K government with having “made some incredible steps toward keeping this area safer and making it more secure.”

“So we will be looking at whether the travel warning that is recommended by the United States is something that should be downgraded. This is a beautiful area. I think a lot of Americans would enjoy coming here and seeing the beauty and the opportunities that exist here,” he said.

No formal change was announced.

Officials said that any revision would follow a standard review process in Washington.

A team of US diplomats from the embassy in New Delhi had called on National Conference President Farooq Abdullah a day earlier as part of preparations for the visit.

Kashmir’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, welcomed the ambassador’s arrival and expressed hope that he would engage with a broad cross-section of people.

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti urged Gor to review and withdraw the travel advisory, describing it as a barrier for families dependent on tourism.

Gor’s comments, particularly the explicit description of J&K as an important part of India, are being viewed in New Delhi and Srinagar as a notable diplomatic signal amid Pakistan’s continued claims on the region.

The visit comes as India-US strategic ties have deepened, including in defence and intelligence sharing following earlier tensions along the Line of Actual Control.

The ambassador’s Ladakh leg on Thursday will mark another first: the first visit there by a US ambassador since the 2020 Galwan clashes.