Lockdown tales: Illegal sand extraction in Nallah Madumati in Bandipora goes unabated
Ejaz-ul-haq Bhat
Bandipora, Apr 14 (KNO): The illegal extraction of sand, gravel and boulders goes unabated in Nallah Madumati in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district amid lockdown due to Covid-19.
Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that tractors can be seen lined up near Gundbal area on the banks of Nallah Madumati during day time while illegally extracting sand and gravel from the Nallah.
They said that the illegal extraction goes unabated even under the nose of district administration as the concerned authorities have failed to act against them.
“These smugglers have taken advantage of the lockdown and are extracting sand, gravel and boulders illegally without any fear even during broad day light from the Nallah,” a local resident, Abdul Ahad told KNO.
He said that these tractor drivers have erected wooden treads on concrete bunds built alongside Nallah Madumati to make safe passage for themselves in order to extract material from the Nallah.
The locals said that the concrete bund was built on either sides of Nallah Madumati few years ago as part of the beautification plan under Kishenganga Hydroelectric Power Project (KGHEP), as the water which comes from Gurez valley to generate 330 Megawatt electricity, flow downstream through this Nallah.
“However, these smugglers have ruined its beauty by breaching the bund at several places to extract sand and gravel from the Nallah. These breach could lead to a disaster someday because during summers the water level in the Nallah keeps increasing,” the locals said.
They said that they informed the concerned department several but to no avail as the department failed to take any measures to prevent illegal extraction from the Nallah. The locals appealed the deputy commissioner Bandipora to personally look into the matter and stop illegal extraction from Nallah Madumati—(KNO)