By Syed Shababuddin
SWAT: Illegal and unscientific mining is being carried out in Swat River for sand, gravel and crush materials while the district administration has turned a blind eye towards the mafias involved.
Swat River has become a center of illegal mining since the catastrophic floods of July 2010 in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which not only washed away valuable properties but also damaged the river course.
After the floods in the Swat River from Kalam Valley to Landakay, the riverflow was also badly affected and it has spread further due to illegal mining.
But the government did not take any practical steps to protect the river and control its flow after the catastrophic floods.
With the help of excavators and other heavy machinery, strong mafias started digging in various places in the Swat river and further ruined the beauty of the Swat River.
Mr. Rafiullah, a social activist who raises voice against the illegal excavations to save the beauty of the river, said that the administration has failed to stop the crush mafia.
He said that a few days ago, two children who were playing on the river bank at Khwaza Khela area drowned in a dug pit and lost their lives. But this is not the first time more than a dozen people drowned in the pits caused by gravel mining.
Zia-ur-Rehman, a tourist from Karachi, said during his Swat visit he along with his family went to the river bank, but unfortunately the river was no longer fun.
Environmentalist Haseeb Khan said that excavations were being carried out in the Swat River with heavy machinery. Large pits have been dug in the river on one side and rocky outcrops on the other, which can cause flooding in summer.
“The biggest disadvantage of this illegal excavation is the damage of aquatic life and depletion of its reserves,” he said.
As a result of this move, fish have become extinct in the Swat River while the water has become badly polluted and unusable.
According to Deputy Commissioner Swat Junaid Khan, all kinds of excavations in the Swat River have been banned by the district administration under Section 144.
“Strict instructions have been issued to all concerned agencies and levies to protect the Swat River and prevent such activities, including encroachments,” he said.
He said that on a daily basis, under the supervision of Assistant Commissioners, the concerned agencies and levies were being carried out and action was being taken against the crush mafia and they are being sent to jails.
He said that a comprehensive plan was being devised to restore the beauty of the Swat River and no one would be allowed to ruin the beauty of the Swat river.
