Srinagar, Jul 12 (KNS): In flagrant violation of the directions of the High Court passed on 24 July 2014, the influential people in Langate area of Kupwara district are digging out death traps in Nallah Mawer with the help of JCB’s to excavate sand and bajri for commercial purposes but the district administration despite presentation of a memorandum by the aggrieved respectable of the area are turning a deaf ear to the public outcry on this count.
A legion of complainants of Langate, Tulwari, Batagund, Shanu and adjoining villages told local KNS correspondent that some influential people are digging out virtually death traps to excavate sand and bajri in Nallah Mawer for commercial purposes. They said “the sand and bajri excavated from Nallah Mawer is loaded in trucks and sold to private and government construction operators. The huge potholes dugout by JCB’s have virtually become death traps as recently a 24 year old youth of Walrama village fell into a big porthole created by JCB excavation and died on spot.”
A resident of Langate Mohammad Maqbool told KNS “the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has though imposed ban on the operation of stone crushers and macadam plant but the district administration is allowing influential people to run JCB’s for excavation of sand and bajri at the cost of the lives of people of over half a dozen villages in Nallah Mawer in Langate area of Kupwara district. He alleged that the death traps created by JCB’s in Nallah Mawer have stopped the flow of water to apple orchards and paddy fields in nearby villages. Alleging that the smoke coming out from the stone crushers has threatened the lives of people in the nearby areas, Maqbool said lethal dust carried out by moving truck loads of sand and bajri is proving dangerous for the apple orchards and standing crops in the area.
Claiming that though a memorandum from the local population was presented to Deputy Commissioner Kupwara for stopping the excavation of sand and bajri by JCB owners in Nallah Mawer in violation of High Court directions Maqbool alleged that the authorities are yet to take action against the people carrying out excavation of sand and bajri illegally. (KNS)