J&K yet to ban gypsum mines inside wildlife park

“The process is likely to get delayed due to elections,” admitted Forest & Environment Minister Qazi Afzal.

Last year, after The Indian Express highlighted that gypsum mines were operating within the park, Maneka Gandhi had raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. The wildlife department, on its part, had written to the Lok Sabha Secretariat claiming that no mining operation was going on within the park and that mining queries were located in the forestland, outside the protected area. However, despite the said forestland being handed over to the wildlife department, no action has been initiated against the illegal mines.

“The wildlife department has adopted delaying tactics,” said Yawar Ali, who runs an NGO, Coalition of Concerned Citizens. Ali said the Government should follow the Supreme Court directions on banning conversion of forest or wildlife land into any other purpose.

The Limber and Lachipora wildlife sanctuaries, which lie close to the LoC in Uri, were brought together in 1987 to establish Jammu & Kashmir’s largest national park.