Civil Society in Kashmir is quick to raise hue and cry against political and religious intrusions, but quietly ignores environmental degradation when making a fast buck
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Srinagar: In a tragic incident, a person got killed when the famous Thajiwas glacier at Sonamarg gave way this evening and a portion of its fell on a group of tourists. Several tourists sustained injuries. The deceased was identified as Dr Zubair Ahmad Chowdhury of Poonch. The injured were rushed to the Primary healthcare, Sonamarg where they are stated to be stable.
According to reports, a portion of the glacier gave way when scores of tourists were close to the glacier. Reports said five persons got buried under the collapsed portion. The police, reports said, swung into action immediately and launched a massive rescue operation. Five persons were retrieved and rushed to the Primary Health Centre where Dr Zubair was declared dead. The injured identified as Showkat Ahmad Rather of Bagh-e-Mehtab, Srinagar, Muhammad Irshad and Sheikh Suhail of Kolkata and Umesh Kumar of Uttar Pradesh. All of them were discharged after first aid.
A case under Section 174 CrPC has been registered. Investigations have been launched. Pertinently the civil society and the environmentalists raised a hue and cry over the recent Supreme Court judgment on Amarnath yatra. Road widening as suggested by the apex court was vehemently opposed. But the plight of Thajiwas and vandalization of forests by state and non-state actors was not touched. Nobody objected the parking lot that has came up at the base of the glacier.
(Early Times Report) |