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| Probe against illegal mining, cement factories in Khrew underway, says enquiry officer | | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Nov 11: The Wildlife Department today said that the probe against illegal mining and cement factories which are functioning in Khrew area of Pampore without seeking required No Objection Certificate (NOC’s) from the department was underway.
Intesar Suhail, Wildlife Warden Shopain Division, who is investigating a complaint filed against several cement factories functioning in Khrew area of Pampore, said that they have sought records from the concerned agencies.
“The probe is underway and we sought records from the agencies, government department and factory owners,” he said. The officer said that he would submit the report once he gets the required record from the concerned agencies.
In September, the department of wildlife initiated a probe into the complaints of illegal mining in Khrew and Khanmoh area of Pampore. The department also started investigating whether the cement factories functioning near Dachigam National Park had sought No Objection Certificates (NOC’s) from the department.
The Regional Wildlife Warden Kashmir, Rashiq Naqash had ordered the probe, according to the documents available with Early Times.
“… Shri Intisar Suhail, wildlife Warden Shopain Division is hereby designated as inquiry/investigating officer to examine the allegations made in the complaint lodged by Shri Mohmmad Sadiq Poswal (Social and RTI activist) with regard to the working of cement factories and mining in Khrew,” reads an order [RWLW/K/Estt/2020-21/695-99 dated 21-09-2020], issued Regional Wildlife Warden Kashmir. A copy of this order lies with Early Times.
Mohmmad Sadiq Poswal, who lodged a complaint against ‘illegal’ mining and working of cement factories has claimed that cement factories and their mines in Kashmir were operating close to Dachigam national wildlife sanctuary without getting proper no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the concerned authorities.
“The cement plants in Khonmoh and Khrew areas of Srinagar and Pulwama districts respectively have not got mandatory NOCs from the Wildlife department even though these factories have been operating for more than a decade now,” he had alleged in the complaint. The RTI activist claims that most of these cement plants are also running within less than five kilometers distance from the outer boundary of Dachigam Sanctuary.
“On 28-07-2018, Deputy Conservator of Forests (WL), Central Division Srinagar under letter No: WLWC/Estt/18-19/935-36 mentions that the distance of Khyber Cements, TCI Cements, Saifco Cements, Dawar Cement, HK Cement and Cemtac Cements from outer boundary of the Sanctuary is 2.18, 3.38, 2.25, 3.62, 3.96 and 4.92 kms,” Poswal claims in his complaint. He shared a copy of compliant with this newspaper as well.
He alleges that the politician-bureaucrat-cement mafia nexus’ was so strong in Kashmir over the years they flouted norms with impunity. He says that forest and wildlife land was being vandalized every year in the area as there was no baron land which could be used for the extraction of raw material for the cement production. |
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