Excelsior Correspondent
—Excelsior/Younis Khaliq
Srinagar, July 21: Scores of sand extractors today protested in South Kashmir’s Pampore area of Pulwama district and blocked National Highway against the use of machines to extract sand.
The protesters were demanding an end to the use of sand extracting machines and said their bread and butter is being snatched by the owners of these machines. “The use of machines is snatching our livelihood from us. We are poor people and this is clearly affecting our families particularly our children’s studies. We want a blanket ban on the use of these machines,” the protesters said.
The protesters were from various villages of the Pampore which include Samarbogh, Patalbagh and Galander. They blocked highway for nearly 2 hours bringing the traffic movement to halt.
The sand extracting machines run on diesel and extract the huge quantity of sand in very brief time. Traditionally, three to five people aboard a boat and extract sand mainly from Jhelum River in Pampore and other parts of Valley.
Earlier this month, the Irrigation and Flood Control Chief Engineer, Javaid Jaffer, had given direction for filing an FIR over use of machines which, he had said, violates law.
In order to pacify the protesters, the Tehsildar Pampore along with Station House Officer (SHO) assured them that the machines would be removed from the river. The protesters later culminated their protest and situation returned to normal.
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