S Tahir-ul Haq

Early Times Report

BUDGAM, Feb 19: Despite failing to fulfill the legal formalities scores of brick kilns in this Central Kashmir district are being run illegally by the kiln mafia and nobody is bothered about the health of human lives and flora and fauna of the area have also got affected.
Residents of Chadoora tehsil of Budgam district told Early Times that there are more that 75 brick kilns that are functioning in the area among which scores of kilns are completely illegal while as many others have failed to renew their licenses.
"Under the noose of district administration and other departments concerned, the big mafia of these kilns has been trading their business illegally thus putting the human lives, flora and fauna at much risk", residents said.
The residents said that much has been published against the illegal business of brick kilns by various newspapers so for, but no action whatsoever has not been taken as yet. They said that this shows that the authorities are hand in glove with the brick kiln and mafia who are working under the influence of some political workers.
"The soil is being transported for these brick kilns from these karewas during night time, and no law enforcing agency has remained active to stop this practice that is continuing from past several months", said locals.
Shabir Ahmad a local said that last year he had planted hundreds of new apple trees in his orchards at various places adding all of them got destroyed due to the mushroom growth of brick kilns. "One fails to understand that why these brick kilns have sprung up in Budgam district only, is not there any other district in Kashmir valley," he said.
"Our district lies on the Karewas, there are many fresh water springs in Budgam district, and Almighty has bestowed a beautiful landscape and incredible soil quality about which there is no doubt of it. But the fact is that the brick kilns have been established in close vicinity of human population," said a resident of Bundgam.
He said the concerned authorities of Pollution Control Board (PCB) had never visited the brick kiln sites to check that what the owners of these brick kilns are using as a fuel.
"They are using tyres, polythene, coal, and other raw material and that is why the smoke that is coming from the chimneys contains toxic gasses from such material. The smoke is not only harmful for human lives, but plants, trees and water bodies. For all this mess the concerned authorities should be held responsible," said locals of Budgam district.