District Admin Pulwama places blanket ban on illegal sand extraction

5 Dariya News

Pulwama 30-Jan-2018

In a bid to curb the trend of “uncontrolled and unscientific extraction” of sand by mechanical boats from river Jhelum in Pulwama district, a meeting was convened under the Chairmanship of District Development Commissioner Pulwama Ghulam Mohammad Dar, here today.The meeting was attended by Joint Director Planning, SC Hydraulic ACD Pulwama Executive Engineer Irrigation & Flood Control, AD Fisheries and District Mineral officer.During the deliberations, it was pointed out by Irrigation & Flood Control department that illegal extraction of sand from River Jhelum is done by some miscreants through mechanical boats particularly in areas like Pampore, Kakapora, Punjnad, Galandar, Chechikoot, Pujtang and Dogripora which has endangered the embankments of River Jhelum.

Speaking on the occasion, DDC Pulwama said that acting upon the various complaints with regard to uncontrolled and unscientifically extraction of sand from the river Jhelum, it has been decided that there will be complete ban on the extraction of sand from river Jhelum until a proper mining plan from the Geology department and other line departments is submitted and Environmental Impact Assessment is done for the same. An order in this regard has already been issued from the Deputy Commissioner’s officeDar further directed the line departments and stakeholders to take immediate measures to prevent such malpractices henceforth and ordered for deployment of Magistrates for prevention of illegal extraction of sand at these places in coordination with respective police authorities and to lodge FIR against illegal sand extractors and to seize their mechanical boats so that such illegal activities are prevented to safeguard the embankments of Jhelum.