news details |
|
|
| Saffron battles for survival as mafia, pollution choke land | | | Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
Pampore, Oct 18: World famous Kashmiri saffron, an expensive spice, is battling for survival due to shrinking of agricultural land, pollution and disease.
The land has shrunk as a result of mafia-official nexus that promotes and encourages land grab.
At least 100 illegal private buildings have been constructed on the Saffron land and also several Government owned buildings like Research centre of Saffron and Spice park is under construction. All these structures pose threat to agriculture land. The PDP-BJP Government has been criticised for allowing construction of such structures.
The wanton construction on world's finest saffron land has been hit by the wilful negligence of the authorities concerned like the Srinagar Municipal Committee and Revenue department.
Basher Ahmed, a grower from Pampore is engaged in saffron cultivation from last 40 years argues that illegal constructions mushrooming up in the Pampore belt has turned the saffron fields into residential colonies.
"Despite the strict laws in place, I am worried that after some time there will be no saffron field available anywhere in Pampore as the illegal constructions are going unabated," Bashir Ahmed said.
"Government is watching as mute spectator regarding the saffron land. If immediate steps are not taken soon the crop will vanish form state. Some top land mafias in nexus with concerned authorities are illegally encroaching the agriculture land," said another farmer.
Saffron fields of Gallender, Namlabal, Chandhara, Letipora, Dusoo,Konibal, Wuyan and Balhama are depleting fast as connivance between Revenue officials and the land mafia are taking its toll.
"It is not possible that any person can construct any building without the proper permission of revenue and SMC authorizes. They give them 1000's of rupees bribe in order to get the permission of construct a building," official of revenue department said.
The digging and extraction of soil from saffron fields render the adjacent lands ineffective for saffron cultivation and as such a cause of concern for growers who have been appealing time and again the higher authorities for impressing upon the concerned local official to stop infraction and violation of rules so that the protection is given to saffron land business, which is a source of livelihood for tens of thousands who solely depend on the trade from extinction.
"We knocked many times the doors of Higher officials including Agriculture Minister but Unfortunately no concrete step has been initiated so far to put to naught saffron fields from vandalizing and the mafia is encouraged to continue their misadventure," a group of farmer said.
But the local saffron growers claim that the government itself is more responsible for the reducing of saffron fields and for the mess and that is why this menace is not stopped.
"State government converted 100's of acres of saffron land into government offices and Spice Park at Dusso is under construction on at least 120 kanals of saffron field. So how can government stop the work of private builder as government himself has violated the norms," Farooq Said
"All PHE bore wells have been constructed by the government in saffron fields and then it is quite obvious when you have water, electricity available at a place people will start moving to these places," said Farooq and adds, "In Konibal area in Pampore, where our local MLA resides, first a bore well was constructed in the area and then government started building quarters. People then automatically started shifting to the area and it became residential area. Same happened in the other saffron field areas."
Recently SKUAST-Kashmir constructed a laboratory in the Dusoo for which they have build 2 to 3 concrete buildings using 40 kannals of saffron land.
Overloading under the nose of traffic Police smells involvement of the officials. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
