Hyder Ali
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 8: Land mafia active in the vicinity of Achan landfill site here has yet again taken Srinagar hostage as for the past four days no garbage has been lifted from the City roads.
The land mafia is allegedly working at the behest of some politicians, who eye to convert over 20,000 kanals of vacant land in the vicinity of the landfill site, into a satellite townships.
As of now, the land mafia has disallowed the concerned to unload garbage at the dumping site even as over 14 employees of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, mostly drivers were injured in the attacks, prompting the sanitation staff to discontinue their works since March 5. Since then, over 1600 metric tons of garbage have mounted on the roads.
Official sources said for the past over a decade, the land mafia has been demanding the relocation of the garbage dumping site elsewhere, so that "their dream of developing townships, which can fetch them business worth billions is realized."
"This land mafia is backed by some mainstream politicians who have procured hundreds of kanals of land for peanuts as no one was willing to procure the land at such messy site. Now that the deals have been inked, they want to get the garbage dumping site shifted so that their business plans realize," the sources said.
Though till six years ago, the land mafia would often incite protests in the area, their game plan failed when the State Government converted Achan into scientific landfill site under Asian Development Bank funded multi-crore project.
The scientific disposal of waste had brought some respite for the locals who had felt a sigh of relief from the stench, which would otherwise emanate from there. As a litmus to the scientific disposal, in 2013, the then SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba had hosted a Kehwa party for media persons right at the Achen landfill site.
The breakthrough subsequently made it to the Legislative Assembly, where the then Housing Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora had announced on the floor of the House that the "Achan problem is over."
However, amid the prevalent political uncertainty, the land mafia is again out on the roads. But the protesters, who have banned the entry of garbage laden trucks into the landfill site, have a point.
They said the things have gone messy at the landfill site.
Sources said some SMC officials are trying to get the waste disposal mechanism run into rough weather. "This is fixed match between the mafia and the officials who are resorting to improper waste disposal giving enough opportunity to the other party to make their plea," the sources said.
Sources said for the past over a fortnight, the land mafia had been threatening the SMC drivers to refrain from dumping garbage there. "Had the concerned taken up the matter seriously with the divisional administration, things could have been sorted out well in time. But the point, which makes sense is that SMC remained silent, till the matter snowballed into a major controversy," the insiders said.
Another curious aspect is that the controversy arose exactly when the National Green Tribunal is hearing the case of scientific disposal of waste at Achan. On the other hand Government formation is on cards.
"This all cannot be incidental but seems to be a well planned conspiracy," said an SMC insider asking not to be named.
The SMC officials on the other hand deny the charges of foul play, adding that they had informed the administration well in time about the matter. "We had informed him (Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon) well in time about the matter but the response was such that mere four cops were put on guard near the landfill site. This was too little and as result our men got wounded and some thirty vehicles damaged, we had to call off of the garbage dumping," said an SMC official.
Meanwhile amid mounting garbage, the resident of Srinagar have appealed Governor NN Vohra and his Raj Bhawan aide BB Vyas who heads the Housing department to personally look into the matter. |
