SRINAGAR: Following the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) intervention, the Fisheries Department of Jammu & Kashmir raided illegal riverbed mining sites along the Sukhnag River in Beerwah, Budgam on Wednesday. This action was taken after the NGT constituted a high-level enquiry committee to assess the damage caused by illegal mining activities in the river.
A team led by Assistant Director of Fisheries Budgam, Mushtaq Ahmad, halted ongoing illegal operations and instructed workers from the NKC Construction Company to remove heavy machinery, including JCBs and L&T cranes, from the riverbed. Locals welcomed the swift action but expressed concerns that it came too late, citing over two years of environmental damage to the Sukhnag, a river known for its trout population.
The NGT’s order was based on a petition filed by Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, a social and environmental activist, who raised alarm over the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining. The petition highlighted not only the destruction of the river’s ecosystem but also the impact on aquatic life, particularly the trout fish, which once thrived in the Sukhnag.
During the hearing on October 4, the NGT’s Principal Bench, chaired by Justice Prakash Srivastava, heard arguments from Advocate Saurabh Sharma, representing the petitioner. Sharma presented geotagged photographs showing heavy machinery violating J&K’s Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2016. He also pointed to an incident in May where the halting of water flow led to the death of over 2,000 trout fish at a nearby farm owned by local entrepreneur Peerzada Rayees, yet no action had been taken by authorities against the illegal miners.
Bhat expressed frustration at the delayed response from the authorities, noting, “This action should have been taken over two years ago. The Fisheries Department is partly responsible for the destruction of the Sukhnag, which once had a thriving trout population. The current actions must be sustained and not merely cosmetic.”
In its order, the NGT directed the formation of a committee to investigate and submit a report within eight weeks. The committee will include representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, and the Director of Fisheries, Jammu and Kashmir Government. The Member Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee will serve as the nodal agency for the investigation.
Local residents remain hopeful that the measures taken will be more consistent and effective in preventing further damage to the Sukhnag River’s ecosystem
