Tangmarg: People are up in arms against the illegal operation of stone-crushers along Ferozpur Nallah in Tangmarg area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
File image of crusher in Kashmir
Hundreds of people including women staged a massive protest along the nallah at Shari village and demanded immediate removal of these stone-crushers which according to them have not only the source of noise pollution but have also depleted the fresh waters of Ferozpur nallah.
The protesters alleged that the owners of these stone-crushers have not obtained ‘Non-Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from any government department. “As per norms the owners of these stone-crushers have to get NOC from Fisheries, Irrigation and Forest Departments. Even they have not obtained the permission from State Pollution Control Board. They are running illegally,” the protesters told local news agency.
“Last Year all these stone-crushers were seized by SDM Tangmarg on the directions of the High Court but ironically they have started their operations again,” said protesters adding that both forest land and water body is at risk while authorities are in slumber, taking no measures to stop the illegal operations of these stone-crushers.
The protesters threatened to go for fast unto-death in case government doesn’t remove these stone-crushers. “We will go to any extent to protect our water body, forest land and agricultural lands. “Forest land and the nallah fall within a 25-metre range of the area for the stone crushers to operate, and some residential buildings fall within 125 metres. The dust from the stone crushers proves detrimental to the land; their proximity to the houses have being affecting the health of the villagers,” they said and sought intervention of the district administration.(CNS)
