Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 26: Unregulated stone and gypsum mining in the Uri and Boniyar Tehsils of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district has stripped hill slopes bare, caused deforestation, and triggered environmental concerns, officials and locals say.
Gypsum is being dumped at Veerwan, along one of the busiest stretches of the Baramulla-Uri National Highway. While the area has no nearby homes or agricultural land, authorities warn that open heaps are releasing fine dust, threatening commuters and damaging adjacent forests.
Officials confirmed that miners are operating without mandatory environmental clearances. The Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla has ordered the site to be cleared within a month.
Environmental experts warn that gypsum dust can degrade air quality, reduce visibility, alter soil chemistry, disrupt drainage, and contaminate water sources. Locals report visible damage to the forest from drifting dust.
A mining official said the current situation arose from failure to follow past directives. “This has not been done according to geology and mining regulations. In 2020, complaints were raised about heavy vehicles damaging roads near gypsum mines in Uri. Authorities then directed miners to dump material at a designated spot. The advisory was ignored, discrepancies were found, and it was ordered that the dumped gypsum be cleared within a month. No new permissions for dumping will be granted. Miners must follow a separate environmental management plan. The mines were closed in 2024, but the court stayed the closure after a legal appeal,” the official said.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel