Massive demolition drive held in Sonamarg

Ganderbal, Aug 02: In a significant enforcement action, the Sonamarg Development Authority, under the leadership of CEO SDA Gulzar Ahmed Khan, who also holds Additional charge of the ADC Ganderbal, executed a large-scale demolition of several hotels that had erected illegal structures despite a ban imposed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
The demolition drive focused on hotels that had repeatedly ignored instructions from the department, warning them against unauthorized construction in the picturesque region of Sonamarg area of Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. This decisive action underscores the authority’s commitment to enforcing court orders and preserving the natural beauty and environmental balance of the area.
More than five structures were demolished during the operation. In areas inaccessible to JCB machines, CEO Gulzar Ahmed Khan instructed employees to manually demolish these illegal structures to ensure full compliance with the law.
CEO Gulzar Ahmed Khan emphasized that the demolition was necessary to uphold the law and prevent further illegal developments. He also warned that strict action would continue to be taken against violators to ensure compliance with legal and environmental standards in Sonamarg. He further warned that any future illegal constructions would result in the seizure of both the property and the land.
The demolition drive was carried out with the assistance of the Sonamarg Police, including SHO Turk Zahoor. This action follows a report by Rising Kashmir, which highlighted ongoing illegal construction in Sonamarg despite the High Court’s blanket ban.