ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday expressed concerns about the Katas Raj pond drying out and asked why cement factories were issued no-objection certificates (NOC) to operate in the area.

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony met at Parliament House to discuss in detail the drying up of the sacred pond.

Committee chairman MNA Ali Mohammad Khan said the Katas Raj pond is a holy site for Hindu pilgrims and the state is responsible for resolving this issue, while MNA Shahida Akhtar also expressed concern regarding the pond’s condition.

Committee on religious affairs discusses drying up of sacred pond in detail

The Supreme Court in November last year also took suo motu notice of the drying up of the pond, and the matter is still in court.

According to Hindu mythology, the Katas Raj temple complex in the Chakwal district is the second most sacred site in Hinduism and dates back to 600 AD.

The complex is built around the pond, which is believed to have been formed from the tears of Shiva after the loss of his wife Sati.

Mr Khan said a cement factory located near the pond that is believed to be one of the industrial units responsible for the drying up of the pond could not be relocated, and should instead be made to shift its water pump system from the area.

During the course of the meeting, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Secretary Mohammad Tariq quoted the board’s response before the SC, saying that the pond had dried up because of a lack of rainfall, and because two cement factories in the area were found to have been using groundwater resources while the local population was extracting groundwater through boring.

The committee chairman said that whether the cement factories were issued NOCs while adopting the rules and procedure, or if the rules were abused to give factories permission in the area, needed to be looked into.

“Why were NOCs issued for factories to operate near the historical temple,” he asked.

The ETPB secretary told the committee earlier that while the temple was the board’s property, its administrative affairs had been looked after by the Punjab government since 2004.

He asked that administrative control of the temples be returned to the ETPB, which is consulting with Hindu communities and exploring various options to resolve the lack of water in the pond for good.

He said one of the options the ETPB has proposed is to convert the pond into a swimming pool and fill it from water extracted through boring.

However, committee members did not find the proposal workable after a Hindu lawmaker said religious leaders would not accept this option.

“We will resolve the issue in consultations of Hindu religious leaders, we will follow their guideline for making any decision,” the ETPB secretary said.

He told the committee that various steps are being taken to look after Hindu yatrees visiting Katas Raj. Construction of a 36-room residential block for visiting pilgrims is in process, Mr Tariq said, while a water filtration plant has been installed near Amarkand Jheel to provide pure water and a retaining wall has been constructed at the mandir to protect pilgrims.

The official said functional temples and cremation grounds in Rawalpindi and Lahore have been renovated.

Arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims in India

MNA Bhawan Das said during the meeting that while Pakistan has facilitated Indian Hindu and Sikh pilgrims who visit the country every year, Pakistani pilgrims who visit India face multiple problems.

Mr Das asked the ETPB to sign a memorandum of understanding with its Indian counterpart to bring relief to Pakistani pilgrims visiting India.

Mr Das also said that Pakistani authorities, who provide protocols to Indian pilgrims, neglect Pakistani Hindu and Sikh communities who should also be provided facilities when performing their religious rites.

“We are not against Indian pilgrims, they should be provided the best of the best facilities, but we should also be given the same facilities while visiting India,” he said.

His views were supported by MNA Chaudhry Nazeer Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2018