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After PDAs failure, police implements HC ban

SHABIR AHMAD. Dated: 8/1/2013 11:04:43 PM

15 huts on Lidder banks at ‘Yanner’ bulldozed

SRINAGAR, Aug 1: After the failure of the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) to stop constructions on Lidder banks at ‘Yanner’ the fast emerging tourist spot near Pahalgam, police has joined in to save the picturesque spot from turning into a concrete colony. Despite the ban already in force on constructions in the jurisdiction of PDA for last several years, a division bench of the high court last month also imposed ban on any construction within 200 feet from the Lidder banks. Locals alleged that the PDA officials instead of implementing the court directive only facilitated the completion of under construction structures at the spot against huge sums. This news paper carried a series of stories on how the nature beauty of spot was being marred and Lidder being made to die due to the unabated constructions on its banks.
After the failure of the PDA officials, police on Wednesday took the job of the implementation of the high court ban on constructions and damaged dozens of illegal structures at the spot.
“Since we were already worried about the plunder of nature due to the constructions on the Lidder banks in the area but we were not authorized to stop them. Now the order of the honorable high court banning constructions on the river banks has provided us a legal cover to stop or demolish the illegal structures there,” said SDPO, Pahalgam, Arif Ahmad Shah.
He said that they have demolished a portion of at least 15 huts and hotels which had illegally come up at the spot after the high court imposed ban on constructions on Lidder banks.
“All the 15 structures bulldozed had been built after July 17, the ban was imposed,” the police officer said.
He said that despite the high court order they are being pressurized from many quarters not to touch particular structures. “Though there are pressures from different corners but we will keep on implementing the order of the honourable high court,” SDPO said.