Srinagar, Nov 20: The High Court Monday granted a final opportunity to the Jammu and Kashmir government to file the report indicating the status of seven wetlands recognised to be of international importance and declared Ramsar Sites in J&K and Ladakh.Observing the failure of the government to file the status report as a “serious lapse”, a division bench of Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice M A Chowdhary while hearing a suo moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL) noted that despite the order passed by the court on September 9 last year, J&K government has not yet filed the report.

It said that the Union Territory of Ladakh had filed the same.“Considering the importance attached to the issue and the desire of the Supreme Court to have the matter monitored by this court, we are of the view that failure to file a status report by the Union Territory of J&K is a serious lapse,” the bench said.While granting the final opportunity to the Jammu and Kashmir government to file the report without fail, the court said: “Failure to do so will result in appropriate penal action against those responsible.”