Jahangeer Ganaie

Willow cleft smuggling cripples bat Industry in Kashmir

Willow cleft smuggling cripples bat Industry in Kashmir
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Manufacturers demand strict action against smugglers

Anantnag: The continuous willow cleft smuggling from the industrial estate Awantipora-Sangam area has left the local bat manufacturer unit holders worried.

President of Bat manufacturers Association Fayaz Ahmad Dar said that despite ban on the smuggling of willow clefts, thousands of clefts are being illegally smuggled outside union territory of Jammu and Kashmir on regular basis.

“This has caused a major dent in our earning as the processing units have better seasoning facilities outside Jammu and Kashmir and the bats they manufacture have taken over the entire market leaving us penniless,” he said.

“The sales today are regulated by the Jammu and Kashmir willow (Prohibition on Export and Movement) Act, 2000 , however per year over 30 Lakh clefts are smuggled outside Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Dar said that the willow needed for making a bat originates from Kashmir, but others are getting the benefit for it.

“The authorities must focus their attention on curbing smuggling of clefts since it is big industry in Kashmir and employees around 50 thousand people,” Dar added.

“We have already suffered huge losses during the unrest period of 2010, 2016 and 2019 besides 2014 floods. And now smuggling continues to take its toll on our earnings as well,” he rued.

The local bat manufacturing unit holders demanded that concerned authorities must take cognizance of the issue and cancel the registration of the unit holders involved in smuggling.

“This alone will act as a deterrent for others to stop smuggling out the willow clefts,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a unit holder.

Admitting that smuggling of willow clefts is a serious issue, a forest official said that the unit holders too need to co-operate with authorities over this issue.

“Last week we seized two loaded vehicles of willow clefts which costs around 70 lakh in the national market,” Divisional Forest Officer, Dr Mehraj Ahmad said.

He said that a case under relevant sections of law has been registered against the persons involved in this act and further investigation is going on.

“We have already forwarded the names of those unit holders who are involved in smuggling to higher ups and have requested them to cancel the registration of these unit holders,” he said.

“If unit holders will cooperate with us willow cleft smuggling will be stopped completely,” he added.


Jahangeer Ganaie

Jahangeer Ganaie is a reporter and covers regional news and can be contacted [email protected]

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