Ban on Mining in Kupwara’s Kehmil Nallah Leaves Dozens Jobless

More than 30 families have been left jobless after the government issued a ban on the mining of sand and other resources from streams in the Kupwara district. Local people in this village claim that their agricultural land was flooded many times in the past decades and became part of the Nallah Kehmil after the administration failed to provide protection bunds, this pushed many in the village of Kalmoona Payeen to start extracting sand, bajri and stone and sell it. However last month five people were arrested for ‘illegal’ extraction of resources from this Nallah leaving as many as 30 families jobless. Many people now have opted for some other work, people demand that they shall be provided with some alternate job.