Baramulla, Jan 29: A team of rescuers on Saturday retrieved the body of a man who along with his brother drowned in River Jehlum at KhawjabaghBaramulla on Friday.
An official identified the man as Naseer Ahmad Malla of LaharwalporaBandipora.
Naseer Ahmad along with his brother Hilal Ahmad Malla drowned in River Jhelum at KhawjabaghBaramulla while extracting sand from the river on Friday.
An official earlier said that both Naseer and Hilal were engaged in extracting sand from river Jhelum.
He said the duo drowned after their sand-filled boat capsized.
The body of one of the drowned brother, Hilal Ahmad Malla was retrieved by the rescuers on Friday evening.
The relatives of the two brothers staged protest against the administration on Saturday.
They alleged that none from the district official bothered to visit the spot despite the tragedy.
“Only Police personnel were present at the spot. No one from district officials bothered to visit the spot at least to express sympathy with the family,” said one of the aggrieved relative.
The annoyed relatives also demanded announcement of ex-gratia relief to the next of the kin of the deceased brothers. “The brothers belong to a poor family. The authorities must announce some assistance to the family so that their sufferings are minimised,” said Muhammad Aslam, a relative of the two brothers.
Meanwhile, the incident triggered massive resentment among the locals here.
The locals as well as relatives of the two brothers said that they were engaged by some contractor for extracting sand from the river.
They alleged that despite state administration’s blanket ban on the extraction of sand, how was a group of sand mafia still operating.
“The incident has happened in broad daylight,” said Muhammad Ashraf, a local. “If sand extraction is banned, then how authorities are allowing such an illegal practice to continue.”
The relatives were furious over the absence of the contractor who had engaged them for sand extraction.
“At least on humanitarian grounds the contractor who engaged them for sand extraction should have been present at the spot during the rescue operation. However, he preferred to stay away as if nothing has happened. The authorities must take action against the contractor,” said a relative of the two brothers.
The sand extraction has become an ‘organised’ mafia in Baramulla district.
A man identified as Aijaz Ahmad Pandit of KhawjabaghBaramulla was murdered by four persons over the sand extraction dispute last year.
The drowning of two brothers on Friday again triggered a debate over the failure of the authorities to stop the illegal practice of sand extraction across Baramulla district.
Meanwhile, National Conference Member of Parliament Muhammad Akbar Lone expressed anguished over the incident.
Expressing grief over the incident, Lone prayed for peace to the departed and strength to the bereaved in their hour of grief and loss.
“The news regarding the death of two brothersNisar Ahmed Malla and Hilal Ahmed Malla, who had drowned after capsizing of their sand-filled boat has saddened me. The poor who used to eke out their humble living from the sand extraction. I share in the grief of the family and pray for forbearance to them. I expect that the district administration will come to the rescue of the bereaved families beleaguered by the unfortunate unfolding. The administration should dole out ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased as well,” he said.