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| Wildlife dept delays demarcation, fencing of Thajwas sanctuary | | Powerful land mafia calling the shots in Sonamarg | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
srinagar, Oct 19: The alleged delay and negligence of Wildlife department in demarcating and fencing Thajwas wildlife sanctuary in Sonamarg can lead to a disaster, according to sources.
They say that a land mafia that has defaced the famous tourist spots-Pahalgam and Gulmarg-have finally shifted its focus to Sonamarg. During last four years, the land mafia backed by politicians has managed to convert the Sonamarg meadow once called 'Golden bowl' into a concrete Jungle.
The mafia has even uprooted the demarcation poles erected by the Forest department and have tampered the boundary line of the Thajwas wildlife sanctuary. However, till time the department has not initiated any concrete steps to foil the nefarious designs of the land mafia which is eyeing forestland and hill locks.
The negligence of the Wildlife department can gauged from the fact that it hasn't even stopped people from raising concrete structures in avalanche prone and eco-fragile areas of Sonamarg neither has erected demarcation poles.
"It is extremely difficult for a forester or range officer to identify the boundary line of wildlife sanctuary in absence of demarcation poles erected during 1975 demarcation," Mushtaq Ahmad, an environment activist, said.
He accused the Wildlife department of overlooking ongoing vandalization of Sonamarg and helping the land mafia.
"Not demarcating the boundary line of wildlife sanctuary will have serious consequences. There is every possibility of land grabbing and we urge department to protect its territory by fencing the boundary line," he said, adding wildlife department can escape so easily from its duties.
How such concrete structures have a came up in eco-fragile and avalanche prone areas of Sonamarg, wildlife department has to answer and punish the guilty who have issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) in favor of some privatize parties.
A forest official pleading anonymity said that mountains slopes and forest areas on the right side after entering Sonamarg comprising compartment No. 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62 have been handed over to wildlife department.
"It is their responsibility to fence the boundary and stop constructions coming up in the area," he said.
However, Wildlife Warden Dachigam, Tahir Shawl said that no concrete constructions were coming up inside the Thajwas wildlife sanctuary.
"We had in fact proposed the fencing of Thajwas sanctuary. The proposal has been approved," he said.
When asked about the alleged tempering with the boundary line of the Thajwas sanctuary by land mafia, he said, "Demarcation record and even GPS locations are with us. Therefore no one can tamper the boundary line." |
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