Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, May 14: As Law Enforcement Agencies were busy in quelling protests during by-polls in Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, some of the unscrupulous persons clandestinely raised new illegal brick kilns and completed the pending construction works of banned structures at Central Kashmir’s Chadoora area of Budgam district.
District Administration officials said during the period of uncertainty that Kashmir witnessed after the Srinagar by-poll, several illegal brick kilns have come up in Chadoora area. “At places like Nowbagh and Barigung, people have constructed the kilns during the period of unrest as it was impossible for the authorities to move in these areas,” they added.
Regional Director Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, Syed Nadeem Hussain said they have issued notices to the brick kilns that were found to have come up in the recent unrest. “I have issued notice to the concerned Deputy Commissioner for further action. We have received reports of three brick kilns that have been constructed illegally from past two- three months,” he said.
However, an official at Pollution Control Board said technically all the brick kilns are operating illegally in the valley as they have not obtained environmental clearance owing to the lackadaisical approach of concerned Deputy Commissioners.
“The Union Ministry of environment and Forest has mandated the setting up of District Appraisal Committee (DAC) and District Environment Assessment Authority (DEAA) for the purpose of processing and granting environmental clearance to all activities associated with quarrying and excavation of minor minerals,” he said. He said the Deputy Commissioners have not been able to process the cases thereby rendering all 315 brick kilns of Valley illegal.
Tehsildar Chadoora, Shabaz Ahmad Boda, while admitting that illegal construction has taken place, said: “We have also received reports regarding the illegal construction of brick kilns at some of the areas. After the reports were confirmed we tried to reach there but an unruly mob disallowed us to move forward.
Locals said the authorities were “deliberately turning a blind eye and were giving a free hand to the violators”. “People have never stopped construction of these brick kilns. The ban is mere eyewash. Some of the officials have nexus with the land mafia who have destroyed several almond orchards to establish their brick kilns. It’s the story of whole Budgam district,” said Adil Ahmad, a local.
He said the orchardists were forced to lend their land to land mafia as the Government failed to encompass them under any scheme.
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