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| Despite ban, illegal extraction continues in River Tawi | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, June 30: As the night descends over Jammu outskirts, earth movers and dumpers start their activities of extracting minerals from river Tawi which is otherwise banned as per the directions of law governing bodies in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The locals of many areas along the banks of river Tawi informed that during night hours, dozens of earth movers and dumpers could be found making their way into the river and started extraction of minor minerals.
Dozens of dumpers laden with minor minerals including sand, bajri, could be found transporting the minor minerals from river Tawi to various areas of the Jammu city that too under the watch of law enforcement staff manning the roads during night hours.
“Though as per laid guidelines the extraction of minor minerals from majority of the rivulets and rivers is banned in entire Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory but extraction is going on unabated illegally”, the villagers said, adding that some of the influential politicians from the area have been involved in the entire process of illegal extraction.
Sources in the department informed that the extraction is banned in majority of the rivers and rivulets as per the directions of National Green Tribunal and Supreme Court. “But extraction of minerals has been going on given the nexus of some law enforcement agencies. Usually the department of Mining has limited strength of employees, which is insufficient to check the illegal extraction of minerals. During the daytime they could be available but during the night hours they are mostly not able to venture into the field, due to which the illegal extraction of minerals usually happens”, an official said.
The official further said that it was beyond doubt that extraction was banned in river Tawi due to which the illegal extraction was done during the night hours. “It is possible only with the active connivance of some locals as well as employees of some law enforcement departments that extraction of minerals has been done”, sources said, adding that it amounted to big loss to the state exchequer as well as to the common public.
Director Geology and Mining Department Vikas Sharma said that earlier also the department had sent teams to take action against the illegal mining activities. Even the team had to face violent resistance after which an FIR was also registered. He further said that as per the Court directions the police have been entrusted to check the illegal mining during night hours but assured that he would look into the matter and take appropriate action. |
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