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| Speaker takes note of ET reports asks CS to get unauthorized kilns in Budgam shut | | |
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 12: Taking suo moto cognizance of Early Times campaign against ecological vandalism in Kashmir valley, Speaker of Legislative Assembly, Mohammad Akbar Lone, has asked Chief Secretary, S S Kapur, to close down all unauthorized brick kilns in Budgam district. He has made it clear on the head of the administration and state bureaucracy that a “nexus between the departments and the brick kiln owners” was not acceptable in a civilized society.
In an environmental series in its issues dated October 8th, 9th and 13th, Early Times had reported in detail how as many as 155 brick kilns had been set up in Budgam district in brazen violation of over a dozen laws and the same were operating without license and necessary Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) from J&K State Pollution Control Board (PCB).
Highly placed sources in the state government said that Chief Secretary S S Kapur has received Speaker’s DO NO: LA/J/Spk/06/09 dated 10-11-2009, inviting his attention to wanton ecological vandalism in Budgam district and asking him to close down all unauthorized brick kilns. Speaker is understood to have written to the CS that during a recent tour in Budgam district, he had learned from complaining delegations and observed personally that a large number of brick kilns had been set up “in utter violation of the prescribed rules and regulations in connivance with the concerned departments, thereby causing a lot of inconvenience to the people there”.
“Such a tendency needs to be curbed with a heavy hand to save the state from the cruel hands of the said mafia. This issue, it may be pointed here, was also carried by a leading newspaper, namely EARLY TIMES repeatedly to draw the attention of the authorities at the helm (copies of the relevant press clippings are enclosed for ease of reference) but unfortunately such a serious issue has not been taken care of till date”, Speaker has written to Mr Kapur.
“As a matter of fact, the life of the adjacent people has become miserable by way of emitting the health hazardous intoxicants in the shape of harmful gases by these kilns. Moreover the pollution caused by these brick kilns besides making the life hell has to a large extent damaged the paddy fields and orchards in the area. If this menace continues, there may not be any land available with our future generations for agricultural purposes’, Speaker has recorded in his letter and pointed out Government was spending huge amounts out of state exchequer on functioning of the departments responsible for environmental protection and enforcement of other laws being violated.
“The concern shown by the people of these villages is genuine and justified and needs your kind intervention to ensure a proper and timely action so that the jinx of destruction and disturbance of the natural conservation of environment in these villages could be restricted at the earliest”, Speaker has written and asked Chief Secretary to constitute a committee, comprising officers of good reputation and integrity, “to conduct a thorough probe and find out reasons for setting up of these unauthorized and illegal brick kilns in this area and submit a report to this effect to you within a stipulated period of one month, enabling the state government to take further necessary steps to check this menace forthwith so that the local people would take a sigh of relief from the cruel jaws of enemies of the nature”. Mr Kapur has been asked to furnish a report of the said committee to the Speaker.
In the environmental series, that has for the first time influenced Speaker of Legislative Assembly to make a wake-up call on the Chief Secretary, this correspond had reported in detail how officials of different government departments---notably PCB, Police, Revenue, Environment & Remote Sensing, Power Development Department, Industries, Geology & Mining, Irrigation, PHE and Commercial Taxes---had conveniently shut their eyes to establishment and operation of as many as 155 unauthorized and completely illegal brick kilns in Budgam. It had been reported, on the public complaints and source inputs, that a number of officers directly responsible for violation of 12 particular laws had been collecting bribes, in cash and kind, from the operators of the unauthorized brick kilns and leaving their business intact.
It had also been reported in detail how these kilns had been emitting carcinogenic and other gases, dangerously harmful to human and animal life, agriculture and horticulture, while using the static iron chimneys banned by Supreme Court of India over four years go and also substandard fuel including rubber tyres.
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