By: Sajid Raina
SRINAGAR: An illegal macadamization plant set up in Vewan village, at the foothills of the famous Harmukh peak in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, has caused significant environmental damage and a prolonged air pollution crisis, locals said here on Sunday.
The locals, speaking to Kashmir Life, said that they had previously pleaded with the administration to macadamise the road leading to their village.
However, they expressed dismay that instead of simply beginning road work, a macadam plant has been installed, causing a “pollution nuance” that is deemed entirely unacceptable in these lush green forests.
“It shouldn’t be installed here at all. This area is known for its rich natural beauty and safe environment, but installing these pollution-generating machines here is a truly unfortunate incident,” said Mohammad Khaleel, a local resident.
“We are inhaling nothing but this black smoke, even though we live amidst forests. The administration must investigate how and why they permitted such machinery that is harming the environment here,” he said.
“Officials who claim to uphold environmental cleanliness should speak out against this completely unacceptable issue,” he questioned.
“For the past several months, we have pleaded with every official to remove it from here, but no one listened to us. Some say it will be removed soon, others claim it’s for our benefit and will boost local business. However, our sole demand remains unchanged: remove it from here. If polluting our green environment is deemed beneficial for business, we reject such business,” said Mohammad Ashraf, another local resident.
Notably, the Vewan village stands as possibly the sole village in the entire country to have defied the pandemic since its onset in early 2020, remaining entirely free of Covid-19 cases throughout this period.
The village made headlines in national and international media for not recording a single case of Covid-19, even as the pandemic gripped the world and claimed countless lives.
Mohammad Shafi, another local resident, pointed out that while macadamisation was conducted throughout the entire Bandipora district, no plant installations occurred elsewhere.
He questioned why their area alone was chosen for such an environmental pollutant.
Meanwhile, an official stated that the road leading to the area is currently being macadamised, for which the plant was initially set up there. However, the plant will be later removed from that location, he said.
However, locals claimed that the plant has been there for several months with no action being taken as of now.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandipora, Dr Shakeel-ul-Rahman, informed Kashmir Life that the Macadam Plant was temporarily installed there. Once the road macadamization in the village is completed, the plant will be promptly removed.
“It was installed there temporarily until the area’s road is macadamised, after which it will be removed,” he said.
