Committee seeks inquiry into unauthorized earth-cutting

LEKHI, Oct 29: The Lekhi Panchayat Interstate Bus Terminal Transport Welfare Committee (LPISBTTWC) has claimed that unauthorized earth-cutting in “Upper Lekhi village (mountain site)” by some unknown group is causing problems in the downstream area, and sought an inquiry by the administration.

In a letter to the ICR deputy commissioner, the committee informed that the unauthorized earth-cutting is piling up debris in the area and also led to the collapse of the boundary wall of the interstate bus terminal (ISBT) complex “by the flooding of the Jully Nallah.” It also said that this has caused problems for the residents of Lekhi-III Colony.

“The rampant earth-cutting and subsequent collapse of the ISBT boundary wall due to the flooding of the Jully Nallah has resulted in the loss of private property worth lakhs. The women’s college building and the National Institute of Technology hostel building have also started to erode. Private residences in Lekhi-III Colony and the link road have also been damaged,” it informed, and requested the administration to take immediate action.

The LPISBTTWC has sought proper inquiry by the administration into the unauthorized earth-cutting; halt on the earth-cutting activity till a CC drainage is constructed in the ISBT complex and Lekhi-III Colony; and compensation for all those who have lost or had their property damaged in the downstream area.

It said that “the landowner should create a proper retaining wall to dump debris before earth-cutting, if the landowner gets permission from the authority concerned.”