Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding depleting habitat of brown bears in Sonmarg and Baltal region of Jammu & Kashmir, 22/04/2025
Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of News item appearing in India.com dated 27.07.2024 titled Saving Kashmir Brown Bears is a Race Against Time Wildlife SOS and J & K Wildlife Protection Dept take challenge dated 22/04/2025. The Member Secretary, J&K PCC submits that now the snow is melting in Sonmarg and Baltal region, therefore it would be possible to assess the solid waste which has been accumulated there. He has prayed for four weeks to ascertain the status, take remedial action and file action taken report before the NGT.
The matter will be next listed on August 26, 2025.
The original application was registered suo motu on the basis of the news item titled “Saving Kashmir Brown Bears is a Race Against Time Wildlife SOS and J&K Wildlife Protection Dept. take challenge” appearing in India.com dated 27.07.2024.
The news item relates to the depleting habitat of the Himalayan Brown Bear due to the unplanned disposal and treatment of waste in Sonmarg region of Kashmir. As per the article, Wildlife SOS has initiated a research project with J&K Wildlife Protection Department in studying Himalayan brown bears and identifying factors leading to human-brown bear conflict in Sonmarg. The news item highlights that in a study by Wildlife SOS in 2021, 75% of the diet of bears was human-made garbage dumps including plastic, chocolates and organic food waste.