Srinagar, 18 August: Farmers from Rangeen Kultreh and other villages in the Chadoora tehsil of Budgam demonstrated against the construction of new brick kilns on arable land on Friday. The resentful farmers said that the Pollution Control Committee of J&K approved the construction of one brick kiln more than a year ago despite the fact that the pollution control committee in Budgam had expressed its desire to build further brick kilns nearby.
The irate farmers who own apple, plum, and almond trees in the vicinity told Srinagar’s press that the horticulture and agricultural ministries had not given their permission.
“We did our utmost to alert the District Administration Budgam about this matter. Despite our repeated inquiries, we were not given a copy of the ruling despite being informed that the villagers had filed for land conversion and received authorization. This is a public document, and the District Administration is keeping us in the dark in an age when all records are made available to the public, even under the RTI Act. Our apple farms are in danger, as is our health, and we aren’t even being heard. “This is unfair,” a farmer named Abdul Gani stated.
It is important to note that Rangeen Kultreh hamlet in Chadoora Budgam lacked brick kilns 20 years ago. Around twenty kilns were built between 2003 and 2012 as time went on. The Budgam district administration and the former J&K Pollution Control Board (now known as JK Pollution Control Committee-JKPCC post 370) had previously refused to provide permission for the construction of additional brick kilns, but they have finally done so.
Legal professionals assert that the majority of kilns in Budgam and other areas of Kashmir violate both Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 and the Brick Kiln Act.Unfortunately, instead of taking action against them, the Pollution Control Committee issues new licences. The Air Pollution Act of 1981 has been flagrantly violated here. Due to air pollution, which causes 10,000 lives annually, the director of SKIMS has also forewarned us. In this situation, no new brick kilns should be built in J&K, according to Badrul Duja, an attorney of the JK High Court.
“Since the JKPCC is governed by the Central Pollution Control Board, we anticipated that it would be tougher. Instead, despite the District Officials’ negative field assessment from a few years before, authorization to build up two kilns was granted by JKPCC Member Secretary. How can the secretary ignore the findings of his field agencies? Now, we will contest this before the NGT,” said Bashir Ahmad, another individual who was displeased.
The Air Force Station in Srinagar expressed its worry over brick kilns in a letter to Divisional Commissioners Kashmir and Budgam in March of this year. Reads the letter:
There is a significant amount of smoke and particulate matter coming from the brick kilns near the Air Force Station in Srinagar. During the flight’s terminal phase, the pollution directly harms the environment and in-flight visibility. It has been noted that the number of brick kilns has been rising quickly during the last ten years. Pollution from brick kilns increases as they become more numerous.
“The JKPCC & District Administration Budgam have bypassed this air traffic security concern also and allowed construction of a fresh brick kiln at Kultreh village which is only 4 to 5 kms aerial distance from Srinagar airport” said Manzoor Ahmad a local resident of Kultreh.
