Ganderbal, June 10: The residents of Shitkadi village of Sonamarg in Ganderbal district Thursday held a protest demonstration against the APCO Construction Company and NHIDCL responsible for the construction of Z-Morh tunnel here for failing to compensate them for the damages caused to their residential houses due to blasting work.
The locals said that their residential houses had developed cracks due to blasting taking place at the under-construction Z-Morh Tunnel near ShitkadiSonamarg.
They said that despite repeated pleas the concerned agencies had for many years now delayed paying compensation to them for damaging their property.
According to the residents, their houses were situated close to the Z-Morh Tunnel and that their lives had been made miserable as they were living in a constant fear since last five years.
“In 2017, the government had constituted a committee to have a fact-finding report and asses the damages caused by the blasting work. Despite passage of four yeas, the concerned agency has not submitted its report nor have the construction companies provided any compensation so far,” Abdul Hamid, a local said.
Mushtaq Ahmad, another resident of the area said, “Around 70 families here are living in a constant fear for the past five years. Despite various representations and pleas, the authorities have not provided any compensation so far to the people whose houses have been damaged. The authorities have also failed to check the pollution caused by the construction work.”
General Manager NHIDCL, V Panday told Greater Kashmir that the issue was an old one and cracks had developed in 2016 when another construction company was responsible for the work.
He said that a committee had been constituted by the administration to make a report about the issue.
Panday said that they had also taken up the matter with the higher authorities and whatever was required at their end would be done.
Sub Divisional Magistrate Kangan Hakim Tanveer Ahmed said that the committee constituted in 2017 headed by SDM Kangan comprising of Revenue, Geology and Mining, Police and NHIDCL had completed its reported and were awaiting comments from NHIDCL only before it is submitted to the government for further action.