 S TAHIR-UL HAQ
EARLY TIMES REPORT
SRINAGAR, Nov 6: Despite High Court orders and other guidelines over the ban of illegal sand extraction there is no rivulet or streams in Kashmir division where from the extraction of sand and gravels are not going unabated on a daily basis.
According to sources that, there were clear cut directions and ban from the High Court over the extraction of sand and boulders from the rivulets and streams in Kashmir valley, but throwing norms to wind, the sand mafia are hardly bothered about any ban whatsoever.
“We have calculated it well, and it has been observed that JK is losing crore of rupees annually due to illegal extraction of sand, gravel and boulders from rivers and streams due to a strong nexus between sand mafias and other people who are associated with the concerned work”, sources informed early times.
Sources said that, unfortunately, the department of geology and mining department are acting as mute spectators as their prime job was to keep a vigil on everything that is concerned with their business.
They said that many times in the past we social activists approached the Flood and Irrigation department and geology department as well about the extraction of sand in Budgam and Ganderbal, but the authorities seems unmoved, the contractors, local sand mafias are extracting sand during the early morning or late evening hours for construction of shopping complexes or other construction purposes in the valley.
From last one week we are observing that, hundreds of tractors, trucks were stripping the river beds of the mineral wealth daily from un-auctioned sites, close to several important bridges in Budgam, Ganderbal, Bandipora district, while the concerned administrations have repeatedly issued the ban orders for extraction of sand and boulders, said sources.
They said that one fails to understand the difference between extraction on the permit issued by the department concerned and illegal activity as sand mining brought in tremendous profit to mafias and great loss to state exchequer.
Instead of one or two truckloads of sand, these drivers were seen taking 10 truckloads, and the department seems helpless.
The department concerned and the district administrations should pass the directions to local sand mafias to stop this vandalism so that the nearby areas could be saved, it causes damage to the basements and superstructure of the bridges and there remains a threat of floods and other disturbances, sources added.
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