Sonamarg, Nov 2, KNT: In clear violation of environmental and wildlife protection regulations, unauthorized construction of a bridge over the Nallah Sindh has been initiated in the Sarbal area of Sonamarg, an ecologically fragile zone falling within the boundaries of the Thajiwas (Baltal) Wildlife Sanctuary and the recently notified Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
According to reliable sources, the bridge construction is being carried out without permission from the Wildlife Department, despite a complete ban on construction activities in Sonamarg imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. The site in question falls within the officially designated wildlife limits, where all construction and human interference are prohibited under the Wildlife Protection Act.
A senior Forest Officer (Wildlife), Sarbal, Farooq Ahmad, confirmed to Kashmir News Trust that no authorization had been issued for the bridge project. “No construction activity is permitted within wildlife boundaries. The Wildlife Department has not granted any permission for building a bridge over Nallah Sindh,” he stated. Ahmad further explained that the monitoring of the Sindh Nallah is jointly handled by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Fisheries Department, the Sonamarg Development Authority, and the Wildlife Department, but emphasized that none of these departments had issued clearance for such construction.
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Sources disclosed that the ongoing work is being carried out discreetly during nighttime hours to evade inspection, posing serious threats to wildlife movement and aquatic life along the Nallah Sindh corridor. The construction, they said, not only violates High Court orders but also breaches the Eco-Sensitive Zone Notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2024. The notification prohibits any new construction, mining, or industrial activity within 200 meters to 13.15 kilometers around the protected areas of Dachigam National Park, Overa-Aru, and Thajiwas (Baltal) sanctuaries.
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Environmental experts have termed the incident a blatant disregard for law, warning that continued violations in such ecologically critical zones could endanger rare Himalayan species, including the Hangul, Himalayan Black Bear, and Musk Deer, which inhabit the surrounding forests.
Despite the visible construction activity and the presence of departmental staff in the area, the Wildlife Department’s silence has drawn sharp criticism from conservationists and locals alike, who have demanded immediate intervention and strict enforcement of the ESZ and court directives to prevent further ecological damage. [KNT]
