Pahalgam, Dec 26: Despite the Supreme Court ruling clearly prohibiting any construction in wildlife sanctuaries, people with strong political connections and “big babus” are carrying out constructions in prohibited areas of this famed tourist resort in south Kashmir.   
 “From last many years many influential people and bureaucrats  have encroached upon the forest and wildlife land in Pahalgam, not only ravaging the fragile ecology of this tourist resort  but also causing the disturbance to the natural habitat of the wildlife,” sources told Greater Kashmir. 
 They said the construction of hotels and huts are galore in the C-16 Zone of Mammal wildlife sanctuary, put under permissible zone in the Master plan of 2006 to “benefit the cohorts of top bureaucrats and politicians.”
 “These highly influential people in connivance with the officials of wildlife and Forest department plunder the natural wealth by resorting to ruthless chopping of trees and using the same timber for construction of illegal structures. Thus creating ecological imbalance and disturbing the habitat of wild animals,” sources added.
 They said that many people have also constructed tin sheds and dumped construction material there. “Similar constructions have come up in D-1, D-2,D-3 and D-4 zones of Khilan upto the Langnaie bridge. Though, in the Master plan the construction should be 150 feet away from the Lidder river but it violates it too, thus polluting it,” said an official. 
 In the Aru wild life zone locals allege that hundreds of Kanal of land have been encroached upon by many influential people with the “tacit support” of Wildlife, Revenue and PDA officials.
  "At Aru you will see many big patches of land in the wildlife zone having been encroached upon by many influential people. While as the Wildlife and PDA officials watch as mute spectators, said locals.
  “ Many officials of PDA, Forest, Wildlife and Revenue departments,  who
 have been posted there at some point of time have themselves encroached upon the land at Mammal, Aru and Langanbal and have raised concrete structures,” sources said.
 “There are as many as 600 Gujjar families living in the wild life protected sanctuaries of Aru and Overa. These families occupy nearly 426 square kilometers. This area cannot be vacated till these families are provided some alternative location,” a top wild official told Greater Kashmir.
 He said that as per the directions of the Supreme Court and the state wildlife protection act this tribal community can neither sell nor lease out the land, provided to them for shelter purposes.“ Even if the government intends to construct a road there it
 has to seek the consent from Supreme Court at the instance of National Wild Life Advisory Board,” he added.
 The official however, said that many influential people have succeeded in acquiring these ‘Gujjar Kothas’ and have constructed  huts and hotels there.
 He also accused police and officials of Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) of supporting some influential people to undergo construction in the wildlife zone. .
 When contacted Regional Warden, Wildlife Kashmir, Javaid Ahmed said, “Mammal zone was earlier a hutment area but after it was declared a sanctuary a status quo was maintained. However, the demarcation process is on and where ever we find violations we act against them.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST