April 01
Sheikh Nadeem
Taking advantage of violent situation in South Kashmir circumstances, some greedy people have been looting sand from various water bodies in South Kashmir, Locals on Monday told The Kashmiriyat.
Sources said that when most people of South Kashmir are busy in mourning over an unending cycle of violence and Police is busy maintaining law and order, some greedy and unscrupulous element started looting sand and soil illegally from River Brengi, in Islamabad (Anantnag), Pulwama and Shopian districts of South Kashmir.
Rameez Ahmed, a resident of Chicharpora in South Kashmir’s Islamabad (anantnag) district said that from last few days illegal extraction of sand has been started by greedy people in river Brengi.
He added that sand loot completely stopped in the area after high Court banned the sand extraction but from last few days weeks this illegal extraction has started once again in the area as sand looters are aware that administration is busy to avoid law and order problem in the area and they took advantage of the situation.
He added that some times locals stopped them from extracting sand but after some time starting again and no official from district administration has visited the area to check it.
Locals from Zainapora area of shopian district said that after intervention of District administration however from last few days this illegal soil extraction has started once again, They added that the soil is being lifted from Darbagh and aglar village and is being used to fill the Abi-awal land in other areas in violation of various acts.
“It also creates environmental hazard and soil is scattered all over the roads that has polluted all area due to which locals are suffering, zahoor Ahmed a B sc pass out of Kashmir university,” told The Kashmiriyat.
He added that sand looters are using machinery and men round the clock to take away maximum soil and inflate the profits in these tense days.
While speaking to The Kashmiriyat the locals said that administration must take cognizance of the issue at an earliest so that locals may not suffer any more.
On Contacting the Executive Engineer and the Junior Engineer, the admitted failure to check the illegal extraction of sand.
“We will still try to check the illegal extraction, the Police has also failed to control the illegal extraction,” EXEN Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Mukhttar Ahmed said upon being contacted by The Kashmiriyat.
However, He assured that persons involved in these illegal activities will be dealt strictly.