Move aimed at reducing damage caused by recent flash floods, landslides across J&K
WAJAHAT SHABIR
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has authorized the removal of silt, sand, bajri, and debris deposited in agricultural and proprietary lands due to recent flash floods and landslides across the Union Territory, in order to safeguard local populations and minimize damage to farmland.
According to a circular issued by the Directorate of Geology & Mining, J&K, the recent floods in nallahs, rivers, and hilly terrains have caused heavy damage by depositing huge volumes of debris material in agricultural lands and along river banks. This accumulation has severely affected cultivation and increased flood vulnerability.
The government has now directed District Mineral Officers (DMOs) to facilitate the removal and lifting of such debris, deposited or silted across proprietary and agricultural lands, as per Rule 107 of the J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016. This process will be carried out after due verification from the Revenue Department and payment of applicable charges.
The circular emphasizes that the exercise should not involve any disturbance of the original ground surface, whether by way of pits, trenches, or otherwise. The DMOs have also been made accountable for any violations of these instructions.
The move, officials said, is aimed at mitigating the post-disaster impact of floods and landslides while ensuring uninterrupted agricultural activities in affected districts.
Whereas, huge damage has been caused by the recent flash floods in the nallas/rivers and landslides in hilly terrains through out the Districts of J&K UT.
Whereas, these flash floods/ landslides, besides, causing heavy damages to the other properties, have led to the huge deposition of debris material i.e Nalla Mukh, Sand, Silt, Bajri etc in the cultivable agricultural and proprietary lands along the banks of nallas and rivers etc.
Whereas, removal/lifting and disposing of huge debris has become essential in order to mitig ate its effects on the local population, besides contributing to the overall mitigative measures. Whereas, the provisions for such extraction/removal of minor mineral are provided in Rule 107 of J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016 notified vide SRO 105 dated 31st March 2016.
Now therefore, in order to mitigate the impact of recent disaster (floods/landslides), all the District Mineral Officers are directed to proceed as per the provisions of Rule 107 of SRO 105 for facilitating the removal and lifting of such river borne material/debris deposited/slided and scattered on the affected proprietary/agricultural cultivable lands after due title verification from the Revenue Department and payment of applicable charges, without involving any disturbance of the original ground surface by way of pits, trenches or otherwise, reads the circular.
