Anantnag: The illegal extraction of boulders from Brengi Nallah and Lidder River, here in Anantnag district, continues unabated despite a ban imposed by the administration. The irony is that even projects executed by the government use illegally extracted raw materials, right under the nose of the administration.
Sources told Kashmir Reader that the illegal extraction of boulders takes place in upper Brengi areas of Vailoo, Gadol, and some others. “Brengi Nallah has been vandalised, to say the least. The farmlands dependent on this water body have run dry because of this illegal extraction, which is also a serious threat to aquatic life. But who cares?” a source in the Anantnag district administration told Kashmir Reader.
Local sources in the Brengi belt told Kashmir Reader that the illegal miners are hand-in-glove with the authorities and are given a free hand, especially during the night hours.
“They continue their extraction in the darkness, after pictures of the extraction during the day kept surfacing. Even during the night, such activities are not possible without official laxity and connivance,” the sources said.
They added that even some projects carried out by the government departments are making the most of such laxity, giving the example of a recently built embankment in Vailoo area of the Brengi belt.
“The 300-meter-long embankment was entirely erected using boulders from Brengi Nallah. How can they stop the mafia while they allow the government departments to vandalise the resources like this?” the locals asked.
The same is happening in the Pahalgam belt, where the Lidder River is being plundered. Sources there told Kashmir Reader that extraction is rampant in Sakhras, Nambal, Lower Ahlan, and Upper Ahlan areas along the Lidder River.
In Sakhras area, a contractor was given a free hand to extract raw material from Lidder to construct a bridge, while the administration looked the other way. “Even bulldozers were used for the extraction, leaving the Lidder utterly vandalised,” the sources said.
The use of bulldozers for the extraction is being reported from along the Brengi Nallah as well, which is a huge concern given the fragile ecosystem of these water bodies, a source in the district administration said.
Director of Fisheries, Irshad Ahmad Shah, listened to this reporter’s question regarding the illegal extraction but disconnected the call without answering the query.
DC Anantnag Basharat Qayoom said, “There are clear cut instructions to the concerned authorities as well as the administrative set up to curb such activities. Strict action is taken as and when any such incident is flagged.”

Suhail A Shah