Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 13: Various KP organizations have expre-ssed concern over extraction of sand from religious place at Shadipora in Ganderbal district of Kashmir Valley and demanded immediate stopping of the same.
These organizations have taken up the issue with District Development Commissioner Ganderbal and SSP Ganderbal urging them to enforce restrictions on mining in the Island at the confluence of River Vitasta and Triver Sindh in Shadipora which has a religious sanctity as per Hindu Shastras and where an ancient Shiv temple and a Chinar exist.
They said that extracting of the sand from the island will endanger the historical temple and the Chinar existing there in case immediate steps are not taken to ban the same. The KP organizations which voiced concern over the issue included Prem Nath Bhat Memorial Trust, Panun Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Vichar Manch, Kashmiri Pandit Conference and APMCC.
The KP leaders accused the local officials of conniving with mafia groups to extract the sand and endanger the ancient shrine there.
Meanwhile a delegation of KP activists from Valley led by Bharat Raina also visited Shadipora today to assess the situation at the Shrine. The delegation also took the issue with concerned district authorities and demanded immediate ban on mining in the area.