Illegal hill cutting goes unabated near Manasbal LakeGanderbal: Locals living adjacent to the world famous Manasbal Lake Tuesday alleged that Hill cutting goes unabated in the Pehlipora Safapora area of district Ganderbal. The locals said that a section of influential people was carrying out the illegal act , posing a serious threat of landslides in the area. Illegal activity of this nature, according to the locals, has also been badly disfiguring the beauty of the Lake and its surroundings.
Locals also said that by using the name of administration, some unscrupulous and influential individuals are cutting hills and selling the soil illegally. It is a big land mafia that after using JCBs and other machinery resorts to illegal soil cutting. This mafia then sells this soil on higher rates. It is a perpetual process; so far the administration has miserably failed to curb this active mafia, said a local.
Local residents further said that the hill has been cut down exposing the locals to risks of landslides. We fail to understand why the administration is silent and why no action is being initiated against this active mafia, said Arif Nabbi- a resident of the area.
It was also alleged that the administration has not taken any step to prevent the illegal hill cutting by the mafia despite repeated pleas. On the behest of few influential people, some labourers have been indulging in the cutting of hillocks in the area and take the soil for sale in private trucks. A number of Deodar and other trees were also cut down, added the people.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Showkat Ajaz Bhat said that the soil and hill cutting in the area is already banned and still if some unscrupulous elements are violating the law, strict action will be initiated against them. He added that all measures will be taken to stop such illegal activities.
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