Bandipora May 20 (KNS): District Development Commissioner Bandipora Shahbaz Ahmad Mirza Thursday chaired a meeting to discuss the mining plan for several blocks of river Jhelum.
The meeting was attended by Member Secretary Amarjeet Singh Sodhi, ACD Bandipora (Special Envoy) Abdul Rashid Dass, Exen Irrigation and Flood Control, District Nodal Officer Altaf-ul-Rasheed, Executive Officers of Municipal Committee Hajin and Sumbal besides other senior officers.
The meeting discussed threadbare the mining plan for extraction of minerals from 6 identified blocks of Jhelum rivers in the district. The plan has been prepared by the recognized experts of Geology and Mining Department after the blocks were auctioned for extraction.
The officers discussed the mining plan and put forward their suggestions and reservations with regard to the plan. The officers of different departments put forward their suggestions with regard to the extraction so that the work of these respective departments is not effected due to the extraction. The suggestions are to be incorporated in the mining plan so that the works of several departments and the general public at large is not affected.
`Speaking on the occasion Deputy Commissioner Bandipora stressed on adopting modern scientific approach for extraction of minerals so that the Eco-system of the river is not affected due to extraction so as to make the process sustainable.
He said the meeting was called at earliest to ensure early extraction of minerals so that the government works are not affected owing to the shortage of raw material.
Mirza said that mineral mining plan is essential in order to check unsustainable and unscientific excavation of riverbed minerals and stated that the unscientific excavation may have adverse impact on river ecosystem and need of the hour is to extract mineral in sustainable and scientific manner. He impressed upon the concerned to work proactively to protect rivers from illegal and unscientific excavation.
The detailed procedure for applying and securing Environmental Clearance was explained to the participants by Member Secretary Amarjeet Singh Sodhi. After threadbare discussions, the several suggestions were incorporated in the mining plan.