Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 5: Despite a ban on quarrying at Athwajan area of Pantha Chowk, the activity has been restarted illegally amid COVID-19 lockdown with the active connivance of the Government machinery.
The stone quarrying was resumed two weeks ago in Block-2 of Athwajan in Pantha Chowk area, not far away from the Police Station Pantha Chowk. The mining starts at 1 am till 6 am during which deafening blasts are heard in the area and hundreds of tippers are seen ferrying the stones.
Residents told Excelsior that hundreds of tippers are lined up in the area and they ferry stones at the dead of night. The residents said that they can’t sleep during the night due to illegal quarrying in the area. A source said that 60-70 quarry holders have started illegal quarrying.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident said that they could not sleep during the night as there is a threat that stones might roll down towards their houses from the mountain. “This has endangered our lives. A serious disaster can happen any time if the illegal quarrying is not stopped immediately”, he said.
The quarrying in Athwajan was banned by the Government in 2016 under Government order 202/IND of 2016 dated 24-11-2016. But as part of the rehabilitation plan the quarry holders were promised another quarry at Aripora in Zewan area of Srinagar.
Under the plan 138 quarry holders are to be rehabilitated but so far they were not handed over the quarry as the Forest Department has fenced part of the hill and not allowed the quarrying in the area.
The stone quarrying for all these years is not taking place and it has led to illegal quarrying and residents of Athwajan alleged that there is active connivance of the Government machinery.
The Government has failed to take any decision on quarrying at Aripora and it has led to violation of High Court orders on rehabilitation of displaced quarry holders.
Sources said that a tipper load of stone is normally sold at Rs 2500 but these days it is sold at Rs 6000 and the load is also less. This has not only led to cheating of the customers but the Government is also losing huge amount of money as royalty.
District Minerals Officer Srinagar, Sartaj Ahmad admitted that illegal quarrying is happening. He said that last week he and his team were attacked by quarry holders when they tried to stop quarrying and were later rescued by police. “We have lodged FIR against those who attacked us”, he added.
He said that there is no adequate well equipped staff and there is no night shift system for stopping the illegal quarrying. “However, we are now stopping trucks outside quarries where there is no threat to staff”, he added.
“I last week wrote to the department and also to the Superintendent of Police for help in stopping the illegal quarrying in Srinagar”, he added.
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