Suhail Rather

Bandipora, Nov 8 (KNS): Hundreds of kanals of agricultural land adjoining Arin Nallah in Lowdara village of Bandipora district are allegedly at risk due to unauthorised mineral extraction, with residents accusing the concerned departments of failing to check the activity.

Locals alleged that tractors and other vehicles are extracting minerals from the nallah, particularly during night hours. They claimed the extracted material is first dumped at a nearby site before being transported elsewhere.

Residents said stockpiles of extracted material were visible in the area and questioned the absence of effective monitoring despite the alleged continued activity.

"Tractors operate throughout the night, extracting material from the nallah. The minerals are dumped at a nearby location and later transported elsewhere. Despite this, there appears to be no effective intervention from the concerned authorities," locals alleged.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

They warned that unchecked extraction could weaken the banks of Arin Nallah, accelerate soil erosion and expose adjoining agricultural fields to damage.

Residents said hundreds of kanals of farmland in the area could be affected, putting the livelihoods of farming families at risk.

They have urged the District Administration Bandipora, Geology and Mining Department, and Flood and Irrigation Department to conduct an immediate inspection, verify whether the extraction is authorised and take action against those found violating regulations.

The residents have also sought a technical assessment of the nallah banks and adjoining agricultural land to determine the extent of the potential threat and take preventive measures.

They appealed to the authorities to intervene before further extraction causes damage to the waterbody and agricultural land. (KNS)