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| Unchecked soil excavation responsible for land-sliding in Budgam | | Authorities fail to implement HS directions | | Early Times Report
budgam, Mar 30: The unabated soil excavation and land-leveling being undertaken by vested interests is to be blamed for the land-sliding which is taking place in Budgam from the last many days. The Karewas of Central Kashmir's Budgam district are under threat as the soil excavation work on these highlands is going on from more than a decade now and authorities are totally inert . The recent land sliding in Ledan village of Chadoora has lead to death of 16 people in the village on Monday as the small hillock caved in and few houses got buried under it.
As per authoritative reports around 15 to 20 per cent of the Karewas (Wodder land) locally in Charari Sharief and Chadoora Tehsil alone have been raised to ground after continuously being plundered by JCB's and other high tech machines say the locals. "The soil excavation on these Karewas began during late 1990 after the work on Qazigund-Baramulla rail project began and hundreds of tippers were pressed into service by various construction firms including IRCON, who undertook works for Railways. The soil and debris extracted from Chadoora and Charari Sharief Karewas was used for making elevated railway track and 90 per cent of the soil which was used for such works was excavated from Karewas of Budgam & Pulwama alone. The local residents say that a beautiful hillock on the outskirts of village Khanda in Chadoora Tehsil of Budgam was raised to ground within few years by an organized gang of construction firms. "It was raised to ground by the construction companies after continuous excavation work," said Arafat Ali of Gowherpora Chadoora
"These Karewas are famous for almond orchards. The saffron cultivation done on thousands of hectares of the Karewa land especially in Kaisermulla, Sarai Khampora, Kuzweira, Kultreh and a number of other villages has been adversely affected due to excavation. The animals have also lost their habitat," Arafat added.
The residents of Chadoora say that they approached the District Development Commissioner Budgam and Tehsildar Chadoora, seeking stoppage of excavation work in the area. "However, our repeated pleas fell on deaf ears," the people of the area told Early Times
"The authorities have become mute spectators and the whole area has become so much polluted due to rising of dust that walking on the roads has become immensely difficult," the residents said. "Huge columns of dust rise due to the movement of tippers carrying excavated soil.
Illegal Soil excavation has played a major role in land-sliding in Budgam and the cases of bronchial asthma and other respiratory tract diseases are on the rise in the area.
"The crops and fruits orchards of the area have also suffered extensive damage due to soil excavation which has lead to soil erosion in Ledan , Choonti NAD , Tilsara and other villages of Budgam said Nazakat Nazir from Loolipora Chadoora
Nazakat Nazir further added that district administration Budgam has failed to implement the High Court order, which had directed the authorities to stop the excavation work in the area. |
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