Almond trees axed for brick kilns in Budgam: J&K High Court issues notice over consent

The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has issued notice to deputy commissioner (DC) of Budgam district and member secretary of the Pollution Control Committee (PCC) over consent granted by them to set up two brick kilns in Rangeen Kultreh village in the district. More than 1,000 almond trees have been cut on the land leased for the kilns, a petition in the High Court alleged.

The court also issued a notice to District Officer PCC Budgam, Tehsildar Chadoora and Mughloo Brick Kiln, asking them to file their response over consent to set up the kilns.

A plea was filed by orchardists Abdul Gani Bhat and others, seeking judicial intervention against the order of the Member Secretary PCC, who consented to establish the kilns in favour of M/S Mughloo Brick Kiln.

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PCC district officer, Budgam, on March 12, 2022 refused to issue the consent order and other departments had also raised their serious concern over this issue, the petitioners alleged, challenging the consent order dated November 24, 2022.

High Court Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal issued the notice on March 2, 2023. The case will be next heard on March 17, 2023.

More than 1,000 almond trees on the elevated table-land, also called karewa, were axed in Rangeen Kultreh last year by some land owners, the plea alleged. The landowners claim the trees were not fetching them a good revenue and wanted to lease out their land for brick kilns.

Kiln owners pay around for Rs 30,000 per year for around 500 square metres of land.

The PCC field staff of Budgam in March last year didn’t give NOC for brick kilns and wrote an adverse report, which has been submitted to the high court, said Bhat, the petitioner in the case. However, the member secretary of the PCC still issued the consent after nine months.

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“After the Member Secretary gave the consent order, some touts are now taking money from people so that more brick kilns would be set up. We have developed apple, plum and pear orchards in the area and we can’t allow this disaster to happen,” Bhat said.

There are already two dozen brick kilns in the area, he further said. More kilns will destroy the environment and also threaten air traffic as the airport and Air Force base are within three-four kilometres of aerial distance of the region.

“We demand a probe by ACB also in this issue,” Bhat said.

The locals of Kultreh and adjoining villages in Chadoora have appealed to DC Budgam, Air Force and other departments to look into the issue.

The chairman of the Budgam Zila Parishad had written a letter to the Budgam DC, expressing concern over the consent given.