Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, Mar 16 (KINS): While alleged ‘mafia’ continued to fully control illegal mining in many rivers, streams and Nallahs of the Jammu and Kashmir, people have been badly suffering as the rates of the building material like sand, gravel and stones have increased more than double in just one and a half years after government made environment clearance mandatory for the operation of lease extractions.
People are of the opinion that the sand and other material prices have shot up in almost the entire union territory.
“The illegal extraction activities from the Nallahs, streams go on during night and early morning hours. Even though the Srinagar administration as per the order has fixed a price of Rs 3975 for a tipper of sand at the stockyard, the mafia is asking around Rs 14000 to 15000 for the same,” Afshan Ahmad, a local resident told news agency KINS.
The residents said the construction work has been severely impacted because of the abrupt upswing in the construction material prices.
They requested authorities to act tough against the violators.
“After being suspended for over one year due to Covid, I restarted the construction work of my new house. But, I cannot handle the steep cost of construction material like sand,” said Shabir Ahmad, another resident in Srinagar.
The locals said the failure of authority to regulate issued rates encouraged the sand mafia to carry illegal mining during midnight hours.
The locals alleged that the illegal sand mining is being carried in connivance with some of the tainted officials.
However one of the officials of the Srinagar administration said that they would take stern action against the violators.
“This thing needs to be curbed. We will investigate the matter and take action if violations are found,” the official said wishing not to be named.
Sources said that, moreover, many Government projects like roads, bridges, building constructions etc have been badly affected with the exorbitant rates of the material.
The locals said that the new trend has begun as many people connected with the mafia have created huge illegal dumps of material at the road sides in some areas. “They have fixed rates of material at their sweet will. There is no control of the District Administration or the Legal Metrology Department or the State G&M authorities. There is total chaos and the State Administration has gone into deep slumber,” said Mohmmad Aslam of Padshaibagh.
Official sources said that hardly few rivers/ streams/nallah blocks have been auctioned till date, but the mafia has taken control illegally of the almost entire water bodies.
“The same is the position in Sopore, Baramullah, Bandipora, Kupwara, Ganderbal, districts besides some other areas. But nobody in the LGs Administration is worried about the situation created and come to the rescue of the hapless public which is being crushed with illegal activities,” they said.
Habibullah, a resident of Berwaha, told KINS that there has been a 50-60 percent increase in rates of bricks, sand, and bajri. “People cannot bear this huge cost,” he said.
As per Habibullah, a truckload of bricks was sold at Rs 20,000 prior to the coronavirus lockdown but it now costs Rs 30,000-33,000.
“Stones used in making the foundation of the house cost Rs 3,400 in last season for a truck, but it now costs Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000,” he said.
“The government should intervene in this matter,” Habibullah said.
In the last three decades, houses in Kashmir have adapted to new designs and construction material, with most construction based upon concrete, using bricks, sand, and cement. Earlier most houses were built by using mud, mud-bricks, and wood. Kashmiris spend a fortune on building houses, with most being three-storey tall and having large windows and painted tin sheets on sloping roofs. More than just the structure, a large amount is spent on the interiors, using wood panels and marble flooring.
Director Geology and Mining J&K Vikas Sharam admitted that black marketing of construction material was reported in several places in the union territory.
“Yes it is true that the black marketing of construction material has come to our notice, but things will change soon in the entire union territory,” he told news agency KINS.
He said in November 2019, Pollution Control Board issued an order, that no one will operate Mining lease without environment clearance.
“At that time no lease was operational, all of sudden everything came to a standstill. But for the first time, transparent e-auction was carried out comprehensively, which was the foremost requirement of the NGT and Supreme Court directions. Many leases have been made operational after obtaining environmental clearances and the process of others are put on a fast track by the government,” Sharma told news agency KINS over phone.
He said that till date around 400 blocks across the union territory was auctioned, and allotted.
He maintained that auctions of blocks have been done but the second stage is environmental clearance which the lease holder has to obtain from the statutory committee. “Around 80 leases are operational in the different areas, after they got the environmental clearance,” he said.
He said that work on other clearances is on a fast track basis. “I hope that within 2 months the situation will be different,” he maintained. (KINS)
