Anger among people over “selective” implementation of HC orders

Mir Farhat
Pulwama, Dec 21: The administration in Pulwama is facing public ire for “selective” implementation of the court orders in removing encroachments along the banks of Jhelum river.
Following the devastating September floods, the High Court ordered the State Government to remove all the encroachments along the banks of water bodies in the State.
Waking up to the order, the administration in Pulwama has started removing the buildings raised on the banks, trees etc.
However, the administration has been criticized by the people in Kakapora area for “letting off” influential persons and not removing the brick kilns, stone crusher units, macadam plants that have come up along the river embankments in recent years.
Inhabitants of Wokhoo, Marval and Kandizal villages said that such units were not touched by the authorities.
The unit holders have raised earth bunds on their own to grab the land and protect their units from flooding.
“The authorities did not implement the High Court orders in letter and spirit. They have been selective. Only some poplar trees and some small shanties were removed,” Javaid Ahmad said, a resident of Kakapora.
He said the bund raised by the unit holders, which pose more flood threat to them were left without being removed.
“It seems that orders are for only poor people. People with influence and riches are off the administrative sight,” he said.
The residents said that the units are intact and should be immediately removed for maintaining the spirit of the laws.  They alleged that there was a “nexus” between the administration and the unit owners.
The residents further alleged that the brick kilns are busy in excavating the old embankments for manufacturing bricks.  “If the process of excavation continues in these areas the slight rise in water level would create a flood like situation and can endanger lives of people in this area,” they said.
However, Deputy Commi-ssioner Pulwama, Sajad Ahmad Khan refuted the allegations leveled by the residents “The administration is implementing the High Court orders of removing the encroachments on the water bodies’ embankments. The accusations of being selective are not true,” Khan added.
He said the administration has launched a drive against the encroachments and it would not relent till it removes all of them.

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