Srinagar, 5 June (H.S.): Illegal mining continues unchecked in the Takisultan area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, raising serious concerns among locals over safety risks and environmental degradation.
According to residents, stone quarry operators in the region extract and transport minerals during the night, evading scrutiny and avoiding payment of royalties and taxes. “Tippers arrive after dark and operate until morning. The noise is unbearable, and the dust is affecting our health,” said a local resident.
The rampant extraction has not only disturbed the local population but has also endangered the region’s ecology. Locals allege that a nearby stream has been converted into a road for transporting stones and that mining has weakened the soil, increasing the risk of landslides. “The Baramulla-Hajibal road is on the verge of collapse due to the extraction of subsurface materials,” said another resident.
A fact-finding committee comprising officials from the District Administration, Geology and Mining Department, Pollution Control Board, and local law enforcement visited the area on April 11, 2025. The committee found large-scale illegal mining on community land and reported that the area’s topography had been drastically altered, posing a serious risk to life and property.
The report stated that several quarries in Takisultan were operating without licenses, environmental clearances, or pollution control measures. “The use of heavy machinery during night hours has developed cracks in the quarry hillock, and recent rains have widened them, increasing the risk of a major landslide,” the report noted.
Despite the report recommending a blanket ban on all quarrying activity in the area, locals say little has changed. “Vehicles are occasionally seized and released within days. The mining resumes almost immediately,” said a resident.
When contacted, Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Syed Altaf Hussain Mosvi, said regular inspections would be conducted in the area. “Anyone found violating the ban will face immediate action, and police surveillance will be increased on-site,” he said.
---------------
Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar