SUHAB QUERSHI
Srinagar(Kashmir)
Residents of nondescript villages under Sonarwani Block of Bandipora in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district 59 Kilometer from Summer Capital Srinagar alleged that their houses and agricultural lands were affected due to pollution caused by a mega stone crusher unit illegally setup by Hindustan Construction Company executing 330 Megawatt Kishen Gang Hydro Electric Power Project in the Bandipora District.
People in many villages including main township of Bandipora are finding it difficult to lead a normal life due to heavy pollution caused by the stone crusher unit, which is situated few meters from Kralpora and Check villages.
Whiling accusing highhandedness of HCC management, villagers in the area told this reporter that, “owners of the stone crusher unit are very powerful and they are able to silence the local leaders. Based on the false certificate issued by Bandipora district magistrate and regional officer of State Pollution Control Board, the promoters of the unit have managed to establish a mega stone crusher.”
“One of the stone crusher units is dangerously close to the habitations and has affected about 500 acres of fertile agricultural land, even religious places are also bearing the brunt of pollution,” locals alleged. The residents said that people had been demanding a joint inspection by agricultural and environmental scientists with government officials, but no one was paying heed to the demand.
The polluting units were allowed to operate without any formal permission from State Pollution Control Board, one of the village head told this reporter pleading anonymity, adding that there was no dust suppression system installed in the units and no greenery belt around the boundary. He informed that villagers were getting ready to resorting to legal battles for getting relief from pollution.
HCC DESTROYING ECOLOGY
Once a habitat for wild animals, medicinal plants and a beautiful green hillock with a natural source of sweet water, Chandaji area of Mantirgam Panchayat has now been destroyed as stone-crushing unit have come up in the area. Similaly Kanzalwan with lush green forest is dwindling day n and out as the crusher unit setup by HCC in demarcated forest zone has starts showing its negative impact and hundreds of pine and fur trees are starting wilting.
A social activist Saleem Naji said, "We lost the natural beauty of the hillock as well as its historical and religious value and most importantly its waterfall to mining."
"Roads become completely muddy due to plying of heavy vehicles," said a resident, Ghulam Muhammad.
Since Chandaji area was not fenced, blasts created several other problems. It damaged medicinal plants, herbs and shrubs, near it under the TBM site over 20 acres of land. As many as 70 heavy vehicles used to ply and several heavy machines drilled and blasted stones every day.
Because of irregularities, including lack of demarcation of its lease area, the company was ordered to stop work several times, an officer in forest department told this reporter.
Locals in the area are demanding to lodge an FIR against vehicles carrying over 10 tones of load on rural roads.
“We are demanding legal action against the HCC machinery which is demanding the public property, an action should be taken for violating norms under damage to public property act” locals in the area said.
“We are mulling for Public Interest Litigation against the HCC management, which has been found weak in dealing with the public issues“ locals in chorus told this reporter.
Villagers are against government Departments for NOC to stone crushers.
Resentment prevailed among thousand residents of more than 10 villages under Sonarwani block of Bandipora against various departs of sate government, how according to them have issued NOC’s while violating the norms in the pretext of “in the interest of Nation” to install stone crushers in Gurez and Bandipora.
People in Bandipora and adjoin villages alleged that stone crusher would disturbed the environment, the study of students and impose a threat to water resources. The villages under the Mantrigam, Bonkooot, Sonarwani and Pazalpora Panchyat blocks and others said the NOC could never be provided to install stone crusher near schools, temples, cremation ground and others habitations.
While providing NOC to HCC crusher units this had never been considered as they have allegedly greased the palms of state government.
Keeping the growing destruction of ecology and environment in view, people in the area have appealed international Community to against the Hindustan construction Company which has turned the Bandipora and is adjoining village into to mess due to it mismanagement and lack of community development program.
The company has forcibly turned the water resource poisonous dumpy ponds and has affected the greenery in the area, which is against the International Humanitarian Law
This is legal notice (file attached in pdf) to Kashmir Watch by Indian based legal firm on behalf of its client Hindustan Construction Company for highlighting the miseries of Kashmiris in the following story.
http://kashmirwatch.com/
------------------------------
Legal Notice: Objectiona
Srinagar(Kashmir)
Residents of nondescript villages under Sonarwani Block of Bandipora in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district 59 Kilometer from Summer Capital Srinagar alleged that their houses and agricultural lands were affected due to pollution caused by a mega stone crusher unit illegally setup by Hindustan Construction Company executing 330 Megawatt Kishen Gang Hydro Electric Power Project in the Bandipora District.
People in many villages including main township of Bandipora are finding it difficult to lead a normal life due to heavy pollution caused by the stone crusher unit, which is situated few meters from Kralpora and Check villages.
Whiling accusing highhandedness of HCC management, villagers in the area told this reporter that, “owners of the stone crusher unit are very powerful and they are able to silence the local leaders. Based on the false certificate issued by Bandipora district magistrate and regional officer of State Pollution Control Board, the promoters of the unit have managed to establish a mega stone crusher.”
“One of the stone crusher units is dangerously close to the habitations and has affected about 500 acres of fertile agricultural land, even religious places are also bearing the brunt of pollution,” locals alleged. The residents said that people had been demanding a joint inspection by agricultural and environmental scientists with government officials, but no one was paying heed to the demand.
The polluting units were allowed to operate without any formal permission from State Pollution Control Board, one of the village head told this reporter pleading anonymity, adding that there was no dust suppression system installed in the units and no greenery belt around the boundary. He informed that villagers were getting ready to resorting to legal battles for getting relief from pollution.
HCC DESTROYING ECOLOGY
Once a habitat for wild animals, medicinal plants and a beautiful green hillock with a natural source of sweet water, Chandaji area of Mantirgam Panchayat has now been destroyed as stone-crushing unit have come up in the area. Similaly Kanzalwan with lush green forest is dwindling day n and out as the crusher unit setup by HCC in demarcated forest zone has starts showing its negative impact and hundreds of pine and fur trees are starting wilting.
A social activist Saleem Naji said, "We lost the natural beauty of the hillock as well as its historical and religious value and most importantly its waterfall to mining."
"Roads become completely muddy due to plying of heavy vehicles," said a resident, Ghulam Muhammad.
Since Chandaji area was not fenced, blasts created several other problems. It damaged medicinal plants, herbs and shrubs, near it under the TBM site over 20 acres of land. As many as 70 heavy vehicles used to ply and several heavy machines drilled and blasted stones every day.
Because of irregularities, including lack of demarcation of its lease area, the company was ordered to stop work several times, an officer in forest department told this reporter.
Locals in the area are demanding to lodge an FIR against vehicles carrying over 10 tones of load on rural roads.
“We are demanding legal action against the HCC machinery which is demanding the public property, an action should be taken for violating norms under damage to public property act” locals in the area said.
“We are mulling for Public Interest Litigation against the HCC management, which has been found weak in dealing with the public issues“ locals in chorus told this reporter.
Villagers are against government Departments for NOC to stone crushers.
Resentment prevailed among thousand residents of more than 10 villages under Sonarwani block of Bandipora against various departs of sate government, how according to them have issued NOC’s while violating the norms in the pretext of “in the interest of Nation” to install stone crushers in Gurez and Bandipora.
People in Bandipora and adjoin villages alleged that stone crusher would disturbed the environment, the study of students and impose a threat to water resources. The villages under the Mantrigam, Bonkooot, Sonarwani and Pazalpora Panchyat blocks and others said the NOC could never be provided to install stone crusher near schools, temples, cremation ground and others habitations.
While providing NOC to HCC crusher units this had never been considered as they have allegedly greased the palms of state government.
Keeping the growing destruction of ecology and environment in view, people in the area have appealed international Community to against the Hindustan construction Company which has turned the Bandipora and is adjoining village into to mess due to it mismanagement and lack of community development program.
The company has forcibly turned the water resource poisonous dumpy ponds and has affected the greenery in the area, which is against the International Humanitarian Law
This is legal notice (file attached in pdf) to Kashmir Watch by Indian based legal firm on behalf of its client Hindustan Construction Company for highlighting the miseries of Kashmiris in the following story.
http://kashmirwatch.com/
------------------------------
Legal Notice: Objectiona
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are concerned for our client, Hindustan Construction Company, and attach a legal notice on our client’s behalf, as and by way of service upon you.
Yours sincerely,
Parul Kumar
| ________________________ |
| parul kumar | |
| associate |
| amarchand & mangaldas & suresh a. shroff & co.advocates and solicitors lentin chambers | dalal street | fort | mumbai - 400 001 tel: (91-22) 2265 0500 / 2265 0942 fax: (91-22) 2265 3891/ 2265 9811 email: parul.kumar@amarchand.com |
| Please consider the environment before printing this email |
| IFLR Asia Awards 2012 - National Law Firm of the Year (India) | | | Chambers Asia Pacific Awards 2011 - National Law Firm (India) |
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