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| After floods, land grabbing hits Bandipora villages | | |  Syed Tahir Bukhari
BANDIPORA, Oct 1: The unprecedented floods have created havoc and left many people homeless as, the land grabbing incidents are increasing at an alarming rate in many villages of Bandipora district of North Kashmir, however the state governments has let flood and Irrigation and Revenue departments scot-free and are monitoring all these scenes as mare spectators.
Locals residents of Sumbal area told Early Times that some residents in Muslimabad area have encroached upon the embankments of river Madhumati, while river Jhelum is facing rampant encroachment in Hajin and Sumbal area. All this happens right under the nose of officials in the district.
As these rivers are the lifelines for thousands of people in Bandipora district. Many villages are living close to these rivers like Onagam, Watrina, Hajin, Sumbal, Watapora, Shahgund, Shilvat, Kaloosa, Shadipora and other villages who have constructed their houses on the river banks. Rampant erosion of the riverbank is a major concern in many well known places like Hajin, Sumbal and Bandipora.
"More than eight years have passed since the government issued orders to remove the encroachments around the Wular lake from Bandipora side, no such step has been taken by the government to safeguard its Land, it seems there is a nexus between the government officials and some political workers here" said Sonaullha Ganie of Bandipora town.
Early Times contacted some Senior official from Revenue department Bandipora they said that, "before you say something we know we are option less so we don't know anything about it we are handicapped otherwise we know there are hundreds of illegal structures on the river banks of Bandipora district, whenever we tried to demolish these structure, we had to listen the political workers who not only threatened but warned us from time to time.
Wished not to be named they said that, "you see yourself today that the lake is just half of what it was 60-years before because of encroachments by both government and private agencies. 57,121 Kanals of Wular land (in Bandipora only) have turned into concrete during last one decade. "It is important for one and all that people should stand up to oppose anymore constructions in flood prone areas and at the same time raise pitch for demolition of the illegal structures that have left the state government scot-free for their actions against the tainted officials of flood and irrigation department across the state, official said.
It is pertinent to mention here that at least two persons were washed away by robust water currents in past and leave many people homeless, now people are worried as the winter is on and are expecting from the government to rehabilitate those who lose their concrete houses during these floods. |
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