Residents of Awantipora area seek additional time for cutting trees along drainage channel

Awantipora, Jan 5: The residents of Padgampora-Dangerpora in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday appealed to the authorities to provide them some additional time to cut the trees lining a drainage channel in the area.

According to the residents, they have been served a notice by the department of Irrigation Sub-division, Malangpora, asking them to remove the encroachment on the either banks of the channel forthwith.

Mohmmad Amin Dar, chairman Mohalla Welfare Committee told Greater Kashmir that they needed some additional time to cut the trees as they had not yet received the permission for the same by the revenue authorities.

“We will remove the plantation as soon as we receive the permission from the revenue authorities”, he said.

The committee members said that the proceeds generated through the sale of the trees were to be spent for the welfare of the community.

“We identify the poor and downtrodden families in the area and provide them financial assistance once the trees are auctioned”, they said.

They also said that a significant amount went to the shrine of revered saint Sheikh Momin Badshah.

“The department seeks to clean the channel and we understand their concern. We only wanted some additional time”.

An official said that the encroachment due to plantation has impacted the maintenance of the channel.