KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Jan 18: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued strict directives to halt illegal riverbed mining in the Sukhnag River in Budgam district and has summoned the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Budgam for a hearing. The order follows preliminary findings submitted by a Joint Committee (JC), which exposed rampant illegal mining and its detrimental environmental impact in the region.
The Joint Committee, comprising officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC), and the Directorate of Fisheries, J&K, conducted a site visit on December 26, 2024. Accompanied by local administration officials, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Tehsildar, and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the team inspected mining sites in Sail and Kangripora villages of Beerwah. The petitioner, Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, along with local residents, also participated in the inspection.
Key Findings of the Joint Committee Report
The Joint Committee’s report, submitted to the NGT on January 13, 2025, highlighted significant environmental violations:
Illegal extraction of boulders and minor minerals from the Sukhnag River had caused disruption to water flow.
Trout fish farms in the area suffered financial losses due to water diversion and increased turbidity levels caused by mining.
Mining activities lowered water levels and increased sedimentation in the river, further damaging aquatic ecosystems.
The Geology and Mining Department had issued 163 short-term permits (STPs) between 2020 and 2024 for developmental projects, such as road construction and flood management, allegedly under the authorization of the DC Budgam and other officials.
Revenue records classified the Sukhnag riverbed as state land under government control, yet illegal mining continued unabated.
NGT’s Directive
In its January 15, 2025, order, the three-member NGT bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Justice Sudhir Agarwal (Judicial Member), and Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member) noted that the DC Budgam had failed to submit a response or appear during the hearing. The bench directed the DC to:
1. Appear virtually at the next hearing scheduled for April 29, 2025.
2. Ensure no illegal mining or extraction activities occur without proper permissions, environmental clearances, and adherence to relevant norms.
The NGT also allowed the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Saurabh Sharma, to file responses to the Joint Committee’s findings within four weeks.
Petitioner’s Response
Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, the petitioner, lauded the NGT’s intervention and the comprehensive findings of the Joint Committee. He expressed regret that the authorities had ignored his repeated warnings for over three years, leading to extensive environmental damage.
“I appreciate the Joint Committee’s honest reporting of the loot and plunder in Sukhnag and welcome the NGT’s intervention. Had the government acted earlier, the damage could have been minimized. I will now push for imposing Environmental Compensation (EC) on the contractors, government officers, and departments involved in this illegal mining,” Dr. Muzaffar stated.
Background and Next Steps
Advocate Saurabh Sharma, representing Dr. Muzaffar, alleged that the illegal activities had been concealed under the pretext of disposal and short-term permits. He described the permits as vague and illegal, enabling the systematic exploitation of natural resources in Sukhnag.
The case has now been listed for further hearing on April 29, 2025, with expectations of stricter enforcement and accountability from government officials and contractors responsible for the environmental damage.
