Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Feb 26 (KNO): Despite ban on extraction and mining from streams across the Union Territory, the illegal sand and gravel extraction is going unabated at various streams in Bandipora district.
Sources said that illegal extraction of sand, gravel, and boulders in Kuloosa stream (Madhumati-Nallah and Papachan-Naallah) was going on from past 15 days, and this clearly shows that there is a nexus between sand dealers and other agencies as no action has been taken against the involved persons.
The Geology and Mining department as well as fisheries department were acting as mute spectator over the unlawful extraction from a long period of time and have put a question mark over their functioning.
They said the officials are allowing the extraction of material including sand and boulders, adding that they are hand-in-glove with the sand extractors. “The Govt orders are being violated and authorities seem helpless,” they said.
Sources said that in the past week, scores of vehicles including tippers, tractors and JCB machines were used by contractors for extraction of sand and boulders from the streams and transportation to other areas in the district.
Sources further stated that these extractors start their work in the evening hours till midnight, using men and heavy machinery by mining sand plus gravel and then transporting the same in daylight.
An official of fisheries department who was on duty at Sunarwani belt, wishing anonymity said recently one of the contractor shows his order copy authorized by DC Bandipora in which the DC Bandipora ordered the contractor to lift (191 cum) muck from Nahalla-Mudimati..
Officials in Geology-mining department said that they are continuously monitoring these spots, adding that “We will soon send a team to these areas to make on the spot assessment”—(KNO)
