4 employees of I&FC division Baramulla injured in attack by illegal sand miners

Baramulla, Jan 31: Four employees of the Irrigation and Flood control (I&FC) Division Baramulla were injured after they were allegedly attacked by illegal sand excavators at Chakla area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday.

The injured employees have been identified as Nisaar Ahmad, Zahoor Ahmad, Abdul Rashid and Tariq Ahmad. The injured employees were immediately rushed to Government Medical College Baramulla, where Nisaar Ahmad, who suffered injuries to his head, arms and back, was admitted for further treatment.

According to officials, the incident occurred when a team of the I&FC Department, while on routine duty, found several people extracting sand illegally from the river Jehlum, using motors and other mechanical equipment. “When the employees attempted to stop the activity, they were assaulted by members of the sand mafia causing serious injury to them, ” said an official.

The attack comes barely a month after I&FC Division seized around 11 motors being used for illegal sand extraction in the area. Expressing concern over their safety, an injured employee said the illegal operators were armed with sharp-edged tools. “We demand police protection. It is extremely dangerous to confront these people as they carry harmful weapons and can cause fatal injuries,” he said.

Meanwhile, Baramulla police have registered a case in connection with the incident and started further investigation.