G&M officials turn blind eye to violations
Villagers take up matter with Administration
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 15: A large scale illegal mining in Jhajjar Nallah in Karkyal, Jhajjar Kotli and Dansal area has posed a major threat to the water sources including tube wells along the Nallah during these hot summer days while the concerned official of the Geology and Mining (G&N) Department in Jammu and local administration have turned a blind eye towards this sensitive public issue.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Not only the people from Dansal Tehsil, but from the entire Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University Complex, Narayana Hospital, villagers from Karkyal and over 60 % of the population from Katra is dependent on the water supply of the Jajjar Nallah. If the illegal mining activity, continued unchecked, closer to the water sources /dug wells, their water intake capacity will keep on dropping and the people of these areas will be left high and dry to face water crisis during hot summer days, due to the negligence on the part of concerned police and G&M officials.
The locals led by former Sarpanch, Panches who approached the Tehsil administration a few days ago alleged that in violation of existing norms and mining rules, mining mafia is illegally operating in Jhajjar Nallah, and posing severe threat to the water sources in Dansal Tehsil and its adjoining villages and hamlets of Jammu district.
While as per the defined norms of the Geology and Mining Department, no contractor or party holding contract license of any mining block of the river or Nallah is allowed to conduct mining activity within 500 meters from any motorable bridge or water source (dug well/ tube well etc). The stone crushers established at the banks of Nallahs or nearby areas are also not permitted to carry on such activity as per norms, but in Dansal and Jhajjar Kotli area, the norms are being flouted with impunity.
A stone crusher closer to Chadali village in Dansal, has been set up in the Jhajjar Nallah, closer to an important bridge but despite hue and cry by the villagers and public of the area, the illegal mining activity is carried out there just within 100 to 150 mtrs of the main water source and two -three other adjoining dug/ tube wells. These four to five Tube wells provide water supply to a population of over 15,000 to 20,000.
They said that as per standing norms and the contract/auction agreement, the mining block holders are not allowed to dig more than 3 ft river bed, but in Dansal and Jhajjar area, even more than 7-8 feet deep Nallah has been dug using heavy machinery near this stone crusher and closer to the water sources/dug wells of the villagers. The villagers claimed that neither G&M officials, nor the Jal Shakti Department officials take cognizance of the matter and during April, May and June, the area faces water crisis. They alleged that at the crusher near bridge, water pumps are used to clean the crushed material and that dirty and muddy water again goes into the Nallah and affects the water quality.
Huge dumps of sand and other river material have been raised at several locations illegally. Even during the rest period of rainy season, the activity is not suspended in Jhajjar Nallah and the mafia in alleged connivance of the local police and G&M official carries out its illegal activity without any fear at the cost of threat to the local water sources. Chadali bridge is facing threat from the mining mafia but the G&M officials are least bothered, they added.
The villagers said that they approached District administration Jammu few days ago and they deputed DMO and a Naib Tehsildar to the area. They just did the formality, seized the machine which was later handed over to the Munshi of the same Stone crusher and left the spot with assurance to take action. But the activity started again after two days.
District Mineral Officer Jammu, Naveen Kumar when contacted said he and Naib Tehsildar from Dansal had visited the spot hardly 3-4 days ago. He claimed that a machine was seized and a penalty was imposed on the the operators/ owners of the stone crusher. Replying to another question, the DMO said that the penalty amount of Rs 4 lakh is yet to be recovered from the violators.
The locals alleged that the visit of DMO and Revenue officials and police was just an eye wash. Another machine started same activity near the stone crusher in Jhajjar Nallah after next day. They urged the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Director, G&M J&K to take a prompt and strict action in this regard and save the water sources of the area.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
