Srinagar March 20 (KNS): The farmers , commuters and local residents living around the under-construction Srinagar Ring Road project have appealed Deputy Chief Minister who also holds the charge of PWD -R&B Departments to take action against the construction company NKC Projects Pvt Ltd as they have failed make proper drainage system around the proposed road especially near the underpasses and bridges.
A delegation of locals from Kuzwera, Wathoora and Batpora in Budgam told KNS that there is huge dust pollution in the areas around Ring Road from Pampore to Narbal when the weather is dry, sunny and when there is rainfall the waterlogging impacts the agricultural land and orchards especially. The most impacted areas are Kuzwera, Bugam, Wathoora, Batpora, Lalgam and Gudsathoo villages.
The construction of the Srinagar Ring Road project has raised significant concerns among local villagers, farmers and environmental activists. The project involves earth filling on a vast area using clay excavated from Karewas .
“The clay emits huge dust that has damaged the apple and plum orchards in Wathoora, Batpora, Gudsathoo, Panzan and other villages. The natural drainage system has been choked which isn’t restored and in rains the apple and plum orchards get waterlogged and in the last two years many farmers have been affected.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelAs the local administration failed to act & some farmers went to National Green Tribunal -NGT which asked JK Pollution Control Committee to submit the report. These reports make it clear that the area around Wathoora has a lot of air pollution due to dust and breach of irrigation channels caused massive water logging in the area last year in April” said Advocate Badrul Duja, a noted Environmental Lawyer .
The waterlogging at Kuzwera , Wathoora Batpora, Wathoora -Bugam and Panzan Gudsathoo underpasses is also irking commuters and nobody is taking any action against the construction company. They have appealed to Dy CM who also holds the charge of PWD R&B Departments to take stern action against the construction company.
“NKC company is working recklessly on the highway project and has been involved in illegal riverbed mining as well. My own apple orchard remained under water for 2 months and in-spite of repeated communications with NHAI, I didn’t get any relief. It has been almost damaged and my entire investment is gone. The underpass near Wathoora Batpora also gets waterlogged when it rains and during dry weather we have huge dust in the area that is also impacting the apple orchards plus human population as well" Ghulam Nabi Bhat an aggrieved farmers (KNS)