Mir Iqbal
SRINAGAR, Oct 22: Unabated excavation of Karewas land by mafia of contractors and builders in Pulwama district of south Kashmir has turned the golden land into dust by removing its fertile soil to build roads and fill low-level plots for constructions.
With no official stopping this mafia, the earthmovers have been used on Karewas land in villages of Parigam, Malangpora, Puchal, Lajoora, Banderpora and Kuoil in broad day light from last few years to carry this illegal excavation.
Locals said the land mafia has been supplying this soil to contractors for widening National Highway on which the work has been going on for the last few years at the cost of precious Karewas land that provides livelihood to thousands of people as it is the producer of walnut, almond, apple and saffron.
They alleged that despite repeated pleas to the officials concerned no action has been taken against this mafia to save the land.
“How can the Government stop this soil excavation as the soil goes to their own projects, particularly for the construction of four-lane Highway,” Haji Ashraf Ahmad, a resident of Malangpora said, adding that the officials are hand in glove with the land mafia as they get their share of money as bribe.
“Revenue officials of Pulwama district saw these people along with their earthmovers and tippers, but they failed to arrest any of the members of the land mafia group,” Ahmad said.
“Every day hundreds of tippers and tractors ferry soil from Parigam, Malangpora and Banderpora,” Muhammad Ismail Dar, another villager said.
Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Pulwama, Shah Faesal, admitted that at least 80 per cent of the Karewas land has been excavated by the land mafia even though the administration acts tough against them.
The land mafia carry it during night hours which make it impossible for the officials to stop them,” Faesal said.
He said that the department has recently raided the areas but the tipper and earthmover drivers and owners fled from the spot.
“We can’t seize their vehicles and huge earthmovers as they left them locked, but still we removed their tyres, spare parts, and if these illegal excavators donot stop their activities, the department would register FIR against those found involved in the illegal soil trade,” he said.
He also said to restrict the movement of these people the department has imposed Section 144 during night hours in some sensitive areas where excavation was going on rapidly.
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