Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 24: Members of Gulmarg and Tangmarg Civil Society (GTCS) today protested against Government and demanded demolition of illegal constructions in Gulmarg without any delay.
They also demanded immediate restoration of forest cover in Gulmarg which stands destroyed due to such constructions.
The members alleged that there is huge nexus between various concerned departments that are allowing illegal constructions in the area. “Every concerned agency is hand in glove with those who are resorting to the violations in the area as these hoteliers are powerful,” the members said.
“Why do tourists come to Gulmarg, they come here because there is greenery, trees are around, if they make it concrete jungle who will come there and if they go on cutting down trees,” they said.
The members also demanded an urgent halt to the constructions in tourist resort Gulmarg and Tangmarg.
The members also alleged that chemicals were used in Gulmarg to destroy the trees. “The trees have been cleared like anything. Just outside Grand Mumtaz, there were numerous trees, but today, not a single tree is standing there. They have destroyed them all with chemicals,” they alleged.
The members of the society urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to act though against those, who they said, are hell-bent to destroy the world famous Gulmarg for their alleged vested interests.
Further, they also demanded that the forests of Gulmarg should be restored as soon as possible, while asking for the demolition of buildings that have been constructed illegally.
“There has to be new plantation all over. The newly constructed buildings should be demolished and nobody should be given permission for any new construction,” they said.
It may be mentioned here that Excelsior exclusively reported that thousands of pine trees around the hotels in Gulmarg bowl have dried up as the hoteliers are using chemicals, girdling and debarking to clear the pine trees for land grab and illegal constructions.
Besides this it had reported that huts are being converted into hotels by their owners and Government land is being grabbed.
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