Admin orders closure of gypsum mining units within Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary limits

Baramulla, Sep 28: District Magistrate Baramulla ordered the immediate closure of 14 gypsum mining units operating within the prohibited 1-km radius of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary in Uri subdivision of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district following directives from the Supreme Court of India.

The order, issued on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment dated February 27, 2024, in the State of Uttarakhand and others Versus Nandan Singh Bora and others, makes it mandatory that no mining activity is permissible within 1 km of any protected forest area.

The judgment also says that if the notified Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) extends beyond 1 km, the restriction on mining would apply to the larger area as well.

Wildlife Warden, north Kashmir, division Sopore, in his communication to the Baramulla district authorities, had conveyed that surveys had established the presence of several gypsum mining units within the prohibited zone of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary.

The survey revealed that 14 units fall within the restricted 1-km boundary.

Acting on the report, the District Magistrate, Baramulla, ordered that all mining operations in these units be stopped with immediate effect.

Officials said the step had been taken to safeguard the fragile ecology of Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary, which forms part of the north Kashmir forest belt and was home to diverse flora and fauna.

The order comes at a time when mining operations across the district have already come under strict scrutiny, with the Geology and Mining Department intensifying its crackdown on illegal quarrying.