Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 12: A delegation of the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) today met Chief Engineer (CE), Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) Kashmir, Naresh Kumar and raised the issue of illegal riverbed mining in Doodh Ganga with him.
The delegation comprised of Faiz Bakshi, Mushtaq Ahmad, Dr Touseef Bhat, Bashir Ahmad, Dr Raja Muzaffar and others gave a written memorandum to the Chief Engineer and requested him to act strictly against the illegal riverbed mining in streams and nallahs of Kashmir especially Doodh Ganga.
Superintending Engineer Gurcharan Singh and Executive Engineer Flood Spill Division Narbal Zaffar Khan were also present during the meeting. EPG also raised issues related to Sindh Nallah and threat caused by illegal sand mining around Hari Ganewan Kangan area. The EPG delegation discussed the issues related to Hokerswar wetland as well.
“We apprised the CE IFC Kashmir about the Inspection Report submitted by Executive Engineer to DC Budgam more than 5 months back wherein serious concerns had been raised about riverbed mining as huge quantity of material was being excavated. The report said that instead of 5 years the material that is to be excavated from Doodh Ganga mineral block number 11 and 12 would get exhausted in 13 months only. This means by September end the riverbed mining has to be stopped at any cost,” said Faiz Bakshi (convener EPG), adding the CE has given them assurance on the issue.
He said that instead of 15 trucks per day (as per estimate made by Flood Control Department), more than 100 trucks are being taken out from mineral block number 12 and other places like Shali Ganga. “The CCTV cameras are not installed in the mining areas and we requested CE for installing CCTV cameras as this will ensure more transparency and better checks and balances,” Bakshi added.
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