Budgam, Oct 04: The tehsil and police administrations of Beerwah in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday held a meeting with brick kiln owners following the recent leopard attacks that tragically resulted in the death of a minor boy and injuries to another in two separate incidents at brick kilns.
The meeting, held to address the issue, focused on ensuring better facilities for the labourers working at the brick kilns in Beerwah. Held in the main town of Beerwah, the meeting was attended by several key officials, including Tehsildar Moin Kakroo, Naib Tehsildar Suhair Qayoom and SHO Mudasir Ahmad along with other revenue officers.
Addressing the media persons, Tehsildar Kakroo said that following the leopard attacks at two different brick kilns, the local administration convened to take necessary action. The brick kiln owners were directed to improve facilities for their labourers to enhance safety and living conditions, he said.
“We have instructed the brick kiln owners to install high mast lights, provide centralised accommodation for the labourers and improve overall living conditions. We also made it clear that no brick kiln operations will be allowed without proper licensing. Compliance with Pollution Control Board guidelines is mandatory,” he said.
Kakroo further said that teams from the tehsil administration will be deployed to the brick kilns to ensure these directives are implemented effectively. The aim is to prevent future human-wildlife conflicts in the area, he said.
“The teams will also verify licenses and ensure adherence to Pollution Control Board regulations, ensuring the brick kilns in Beerwah operate in compliance with government standards, the Tehsildar said, adding brick kiln owners must sell bricks at government-approved rates.
He also informed that wildlife teams have already been deployed to the affected areas and are conducting search operations in the nearby villages where these incidents occurred. Cages have been set up at various locations in an effort to capture the leopard alive and prevent further loss of life.
“The tehsil and police administrations in Beerwah are fully supporting the on-site wildlife department teams. We are hopeful that the leopard will be captured soon,” Kakroo said.
“We encourage residents to report any sightings of wild animals in any part of Beerwah tehsil. Contact numbers of all relevant officials from the tehsil administration, police administration, and wildlife department have been made publicly available,” the Tehsildar added.
