Malala Yousafzai urges UN to help Kashmiri children go back to school
London: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Pakistani education rights activist Malala Yousafzai has urged the UN to work towards peace in Kashmir and help children go back to school amid the tense situation in the Valley.
Normal life has remained affected in Kashmir since August 5, when the special status for Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped and restrictions were imposed. Most shops and schools remain shut and public transport has gone off the roads.
"I am asking leaders, at #UNGA and beyond, to work towards peace in Kashmir, listen to Kashmiri voices and help children go safely back to school," the youngest ever Nobel Laureate tweeted on Saturday.
Malala, 22, said she is deeply concerned about reports of students who have not been able to attend school for more than 40 days, about girls who are afraid to leave their homes.
"I wanted to hear directly from girls living in Kashmir right now. It took a lot of work from a lot of people to get their stories because of the communications blackout. Kashmiris are cut off from the world and unable to make their voices heard. #LetKashmirSpeak," she tweeted.
As the shutdown in the Valley entered its 41st day on Saturday, most of the shops and other business establishments remained closed. Internet services remained suspended across all platforms.
While landline phones across the Valley were functional, voice calls on mobile devices were working only in Kupwara and Handwara police districts of north Kashmir.
The efforts of the state government to reopen schools have not borne any fruit as parents continued to keep the kids at home due to apprehensions about their safety.
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Karnataka HC sets aside NGT order against MEG over Halasuru Lake pollution
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has quashed a May 20, 2022, National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that held the Madras Engineering Group (MEG) and Centre, Bengaluru, responsible for pollution in Halasuru Lake.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind ruled that the NGT's order, which imposed an environmental compensation of ₹2.94 crore on MEG, was issued without granting them an opportunity to be heard, violating principles of natural justice.
The court has remanded the case back to the NGT, Southern Zone, Chennai, for reconsideration. The NGT has been directed to decide afresh on the imposition of environmental compensation after providing a fair hearing to MEG.
However, the High Court ordered MEG to deposit ₹1 crore with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) as per the August 2024 NGT directive. This deposit will remain subject to the outcome of the fresh proceedings.
The NGT initiated the case in March 2016 following a news report that alleged pollution by a slaughterhouse, MEG, and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). The BWSSB was also directed to pay ₹1 crore as environmental compensation.
Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath, representing MEG, argued that an open stormwater drain under BWSSB flows through MEG’s premises into the lake, contributing to the pollution. He stated that the sewage load from MEG is minimal and plans for a 1,200-KLD sewage treatment plant (STP) are underway.
The bench noted that no proper liability assessment had been conducted against MEG, and no opportunity was provided for them to present their defence before the demand notice was issued.
The matter will now be re-examined by the NGT.
