Sand diggers

Sand diggers

Recently hundreds of sand diggers protested in Srinagar and approached local media questioning the intentions of the authorities as they could not understand why they were in hurry to e-auction the sand blocks during the peak of clampdown with no internet facility in Jammu and Kashmir. Thousands of families from generations are dependent on the sand extraction all along the river Jhelum. They are seen digging the sand and transporting them in hundreds of boats during the winters when the water level remains low in various rivers of Kashmir including Jhelum and Sindh.

According to these aggrieved families, this move of the government will render about one lakh families without survival as police and authorities have recently banned them from extracting sand and were informed that the contract has been given to many non locals who have applied for the same by e-auction.

These protesting families have appealed authorities to rethink about their decision and go for fresh tendering process so that the locals can also compete and get the sand blocks all along the rivers and other water sources in Kashmir.

In Jammu also, there have been complaints by the locals that many non locals have been able to get the contracts in the river beds of Jammu region with the result bringing fresh wave of anger and concern among the locals.

According to senior officers in administration, it was a process completed recently on the guidelines of a Supreme Court order issued in the year 2015.

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