Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 5: Dozens of stone-quarries operational in Drangbal area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district are posing grave threat to the lives of hundreds of people living in the vicinity.
The stone quarries at Drangbal, many of whom according to locals are functioning illegally, threaten the lives of residents of several localities including Malik Mohalla, Dar Mohalla and Mir Mohalla. People are living on the foothill while these stone-quarries are located atop their houses on hills.
Locals said that many of these stone-quarries are functioning ‘illegally’ and they not only threaten the lives of people but also have damaged 14 kilometer long Baghi Islam- Hajibal road which was constructed under Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme at the cost of several crores of rupees.
“The continuous quarrying could result in landslide and shooting stones. Around 10 and 12 kilometer road length has been damaged due to it. The concerned department is silent and nothing is being done,” said the local.
Pertinently, several illegal stone-quarries were closed by the Geology and Mining Department on the court directions recently. However, a local elder said that many more illegal quarries still exist and some of them are on forest land.
District Officer of Geology and Mining, Irshad Ahmad, admitted the danger to locals because of the stone-quarries. “However it is they who work in these quarries. We cannot do anything in this matter. But yes there is threat to them,” he told Excelsior.
He claimed none of the quarries is illegal. “I cannot tell you the exact number of stone-quarries functional there but none of them is illegal,” he said. He also said that there is no “immediate threat” to the Hajibal road due to the presence of these stone-quarries.
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