JKSA concerned over illegal mining, destruction of Sports Stadiums in Bandipora
Seeks CM Omar Abdullah’s Intervention.
STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, MARCH 02 (STC): Student leader and Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) National Convenor Nasir Khuehami on Sunday expressed deep anguish over the rampant illegal mining that has destroyed two sports stadiums, Baba Kareeme Sports Stadium and Adnan Sports Stadium, located near Polytechnic College in Bandipora.
He sought Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention to put an end to this destruction, which has already devastated sports stadiums, natural resources, and biodiversity.
In a statement, Khuehami said that these stadiums, once thriving centers for cricket and football, have been reduced to ruins due to unchecked sand extraction. Goalposts have been shattered, cricket pitches worth lakhs have been damaged, and bunds and boundaries have been erased, leaving behind barren land filled with deep pits. “The administration’s continued failure to act has deprived thousands of young players of their only space to train and compete,” he said.
He said that illegal sand and soil extraction using JCB machines and tractors has turned these stadiums into excavation sites. What were once lush green fields nurturing sporting talent have been plundered in broad daylight. Tournaments have come to a halt, young athletes have been left without a place to practice, and the sports culture in Bandipora is on the verge of collapse. Despite repeated complaints, the District Administration of Bandipora, “J&K Sports Council, and local representatives have remained silent spectators, failing to take action against this blatant loot. Those who dared to resist were met with threats, while officials conveniently ignored the destruction unfolding before them,” he said.
He emphasized that for the past five years, illegal mining has systematically dismantled these grounds. The carefully maintained pitches, which took years of effort to prepare, have been completely ravaged. The administration, despite being aware of this ongoing destruction, has done nothing to stop it. This raises serious questions—are they complicit in the loot, or simply indifferent to the future of youth and sports in the region? The silence of officials is unacceptable, and their inaction is nothing short of a betrayal of the people of Bandipora.
“The destruction of these fields is not just an attack on sports infrastructure but also on the aspirations of thousands of young players who now have nowhere to go. How can young people be expected to stay away from drugs and crime when they are robbed of opportunities to engage in sports? The administration’s failure to act is pushing the youth toward despair and hopelessness,” he said.
He asserted that even though night CCTV footage has exposed this brazen loot, officials remain unmoved. It is evident that a well-oiled nexus of officials, politicians, and mining mafias is operating with impunity. This nexus must be dismantled, and those responsible for the destruction must be arrested and prosecuted under the strictest laws. The stadiums must be restored to their original state so that young athletes can once again train and compete. The administration must implement strict measures to prevent such destruction in the future and conduct a high-level inquiry to expose those shielding the mining mafia.
He added that this unchecked excavation is severely disrupting the natural ecosystem of water bodies, drastically altering the landscape, and depleting local water resources. He accused the Fisheries, Geology, and Mining Departments of enabling illegal sand extraction, which has not only vandalized stadiums but also caused massive destruction to the properties of the Forest Department, Agriculture Department, Polytechnic College, and Wular embankments. Beyond the physical damage, this reckless mining has devastated the socio-geographic fabric of the entire region.
He urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene and take urgent steps to put an end to this destruction. If immediate action is not taken, the future of sports in Bandipora and Kashmir will suffer irreversible damage. He said that the administration’s inaction has enabled the open plundering of public and government property, shattering the dreams of thousands of young players. He urged the Chief Minister to direct the District Administration of Bandipora to hold those responsible accountable. The perpetrators behind this illegal mafia must be arrested and prosecuted under the strictest laws to ensure that sports can once again thrive in Bandipora while natural resources, biodiversity, and the region’s socio-geographic fabric are preserved and protected, he added. (STC)
