Ashok Kumar Former Legislature from Ramban along with the locals steered a strongprotest against the Ministry of Road and Transport (MORT), Government of India (GOI) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), Government of India (GOI) fordelaying in the process of construction of National highway-44 Four Lane Project from Udhampurto Banihaland also not providing any environmental treatment and monitoring committee to check the risk assessment as thousands of people inhabited in its periphery are being adversely affected by the four lane project from last 6 years.
In a statement issued here, Ashok has said that the lives of thousands inhabited in its periphery are at great risk both from sinking of land, dust and frequent landslides. Few among them who can afford have even started migrating to other places due to heavy dust.At several hotspots many families have become homeless. Few locals claimed that even after sacrificing their land for the project the government has repeatedly ignored the environmental norms which directly impacted their livelihood. They are not able to do their daily household work due to accumulation of layers of dust.
Ashok further said that the project impact is at large scale both on society and ecology. The current government is completely ignoring its long term impact due to the poor socio-economic status of the people. It is great injustice to the regionally marginalised people of Ramban district. There is great threat to small rivulets and chenab river as the concerned companies have not follow any environmental norms. In addition, the vegetation on the lower slopes along the chenab river have been destroyed completely by filling of slopes by debris and boulders.
Ashok has strongly urged upon the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to immediately take necessary measure to control this menace on war footing basis as the lives of thousands are at greater risk.