Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar July 29: Despite a ban, some quarry owners in the Drangbal area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district have resorted to illegal mining, with scores of tippers carrying stones from the sites each day as officials turn a blind eye.
Some quarry owners have resorted to illegal ferrying of stones and other material to various parts of the district while neglecting to pay royalties and other taxes. Locals said that several tippers congregate in the area after dark to move stones illegally to other parts of the district while officials do nothing. “It has become a nuisance for the locals as we were unable to get a good night’s sleep due to the noise that these illegal operators started shortly after Sunset and continued throughout the night,” a local said.
Majority of these unlawful activities take place in and around Turnnag Rad, which not only affects the local population but also has a significant negative impact on the ecology of the region. “The miners had converted a nearby stream into a road, and loaded vehicles frequently traveled on it,” locals said.
The locals alleged that they had repeatedly raised the issue with the concerned department but nothing had been done so far. “They seized some of the vehicles and then released them after some days or hours and nothing else is being done. The operators resume mining soon after their vehicles are released,” the locals said, adding that the dust produced by the mining has a detrimental impact on the health of the neighborhood residents.
The unabated mining has also made several areas vulnerable to landslides. “Since they are regularly mining for stones, the hillock’s soil has become loose, making it susceptible to landslides. The Baramulla-Hajibal road is likewise in the danger of collapsing due to mining of all the subsurface materials,” a local said, adding that the administration should thoroughly investigate the situation before anything unfortunate occurs.
District Mineral Officer Baramulla, Zahid Ahmad, said that mining is still prohibited and anyone who engages in it is doing it illegally. He said that they had seized several vehicles ferrying the material. “We keep a close eye on things throughout the day, but these things tend to happen at night. We lack the resources to work into the wee hours,” he said.
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