 Mohammad Sarfaraz
Early Times Report
BARAMULLA, May 21: Notorious sand mafia has made illegal sand dikes across the river Jhelum in Sopore area of this north Kashmir district right under the nose of flood control department and the officers and officials of the concerned department have deliberately turned a blind eye to the illegality. According to sources, some political workers and influential businessmen have made some sand dikes in an open field near river Jhelum in between Dobgah- Seer and in its adjacent areas.
"The contract for extraction of sand, boulders was given to few people and they were allowed to extract some hundred cubic meters of sand, but they have extracted far more than the allocated quantity and there is no check on them", sources told ET.
Sources said that the sand was dumped here with the help of drudges and JCBs, after which dozens of tippers are used during evening time in loading the sand causing huge damages to river embankment.
Though Darpora Delina area is some two- three kilometers away from Seer area, but most of the people doing illegal business of sand come from this place, sources informed.
Locals of Seer area inform that the local authorities had spent huge amount on repairing of embankments but again the bunds were damaged by some people for their vested interests.
From past several years there is a rapid increase in the development of industrial and residential areas, road construction, as well as sanitation and irrigation infrastructures and the sand was transported from the nearby areas of River Jhelum, said sources.
Sources also said that the number of illegal sand miners is much higher than those to whom the permissions were granted and it was imperative for the agencies concerned to check the illegal mining to stop further losses.
Fact of the matter is that the illegal sand mining is causing large environmental and socio-economic impacts. The main impacts include riverbank erosion and degradation and unfortunately, people in Kashmir valley prefer to build their houses on embankments so that they can dump their refuse in rivers. |
