Aatif Qayoom

Handwara, Nov 02 (KNS): The residents of Handwara and adjoining areas in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday raised eyebrows over inaction of district administration against elements involved in illegal sand extraction from Nallah Mawer.
While speaking with Kashmir News Service (KNS), locals of Handwara expressed strong resentment over continuous extraction of sand and bajri from Nallah Mawer by miscreants and appealed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally look into the matter and bring the involved to the task.
They said the illegal extraction of sand and bajri from the said Nallah is going ‘unabated’ and in ‘broad day light’ with the tacit support of officials who failed to take any concrete action so far.
“The concern department is watching the extraction as a mute-spectator and watching the vandalism helplessly. The regular extraction (illegally) has caused huge damage to the embankments of the Nallah which poses a serious threat to the nearby areas during rainy situation”, locals told.
They added the continuous extraction has not only weakened embankments but hundreds of trees have got dried due to inadequate water in the Nallah.
“Hundreds of trees of the bank of Nallah Mawer are dried due to little amount of water available in the Nallah. If the loot of miscreants and inactive behavior of officials concerned will remain continue, it will forces locals to convert the agricultural land into horticulture”, locals said.
A local resident said that we fail to understand why authorities are shying to curb this illegal trade in the area. He said the illegal extraction is mostly being carried out during early hours but from couple of months it is going unabated during broad day light.
Locals of the area alleged hand in glove of the department with mafia and said the area has started to suffer water paucity.
They however appealed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to rein the elements involved in illegal extraction of sand and bajri from Nallah Mawer and take stern action against officials who failed to act tough against miscreants. (KNS)