Baramulla: Panic swept through several parts of Baramulla town on Friday evening after a portion of a stone quarry collapsed in the Drangbal area, sending huge clouds of dust billowing towards Khanpora and adjoining localities.
The thick dust cover stretched across nearby residential belts, triggering alarm among residents who rushed out of their homes and shops.
Witnesses from Drangbal said the incident was preceded by a loud cracking sound, followed by a sudden slide of stone and debris from the quarry face. “We heard a powerful rumble and within seconds, dust engulfed the entire area,” said Mohammad Ashraf, a resident of Drangbal. “People started running, some towards the main road, others uphill, thinking something disastrous had happened,” he added.
Though there were no reports of injuries or loss of life, the atmosphere remained tense for quite some time as the dust plume moved towards Khanpora and parts of the main town.
Many residents said they initially feared a major blast or natural calamity due to the intensity of the noise and the sudden blackout-like haze. “For a moment, it felt like an earthquake or some big explosion,” said Rafiqa, a resident from the Khanpora side.
Locals asserted that the incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by continuous quarrying in the Drangbal belt, which they say has already destabilised portions of the hill slope. “These stone quarries are right above our homes, and every slide brings us closer to a tragedy,” said Abdul Hamid, a local from the area. “If this continues unchecked, one day the rocks may come crashing directly onto our houses.”
Residents from Drangbal, Khanpora and nearby areas complained that despite repeated representations, their concerns about dust pollution, vibrations and safety hazards have not been addressed adequately.
“We have been pleading for proper regulation and scientific assessment of these quarries, but our voices are ignored,” said another local Asif Ahmed. “The administration must step in before we are forced to evacuate our own mohallas,’ he added.
People have urged the district authorities to immediately review all stone quarry operations in Drangbal, enforce strict safety protocols and conduct a technical survey of the hill. They stressed that given the close proximity of the quarries to thickly populated neighbourhoods, any future collapse could prove disastrous. “This time, it was only dust,” said a resident from Baramulla town, “next time, lives may not be spared.”
