SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has told the Legislative Assembly that it is following a regulated and sustainable approach to mineral extraction to balance environmental protection with the availability of construction material for developmental and infrastructure projects.
The government gave the response in a written reply by the minister in charge of the Mining Department to a question raised by MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone during the ongoing autumn session of the Assembly.
Lone had sought details of the measures being taken to address environmental concerns arising from mining activities while ensuring adequate supplies of construction material for important projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the reply, mineral extraction is regulated under the Jammu and Kashmir Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016, along with other applicable environmental and statutory requirements.
The government said mining and extraction activities are permitted only after obtaining the required environmental safeguards, including environmental clearance, consent to establish or operate and other statutory approvals, wherever applicable.
It said district-wise assessments and updates of District Survey Reports are undertaken to identify mineral resources while taking environmental sustainability into account.
Permission for extracting riverbed minerals, the government said, is granted after considering factors including carrying capacity, river morphology and the protection of embankments, bridges, roads, irrigation works and other infrastructure. Prescribed safety and buffer distances are also taken into account.
The government further said enforcement drives are conducted regularly, with illegally extracted minerals, vehicles and machinery seized where violations are detected. Applicable royalty, penalties and other dues are also assessed and recovered from unauthorised operators.
To monitor the extraction and movement of minerals, the department is using an Integrated Mine Surveillance System, GPS and VTD-based tracking, electronic transit passes and other digital monitoring mechanisms.
At the same time, the department facilitates the identification, assessment and regulated extraction of minor minerals, including sand, bajri, boulders, aggregates and clay, to meet the requirements of roads, tunnels, bridges, railway projects, irrigation works and other developmental projects.
The government said the Mining Department coordinates with district administrations, executing agencies and other regulatory departments to ensure that construction material is sourced through lawful and environmentally compliant channels.
It also said provisions for progressive reclamation, restoration and rehabilitation of mined-out areas are incorporated into approved mining or environmental management frameworks wherever applicable, and that project proponents or lessees are required to comply with those conditions.
On the procedure for granting or allotting mining leases, particularly in cases involving persons or stakeholders from outside Jammu and Kashmir, the government said the identification, delineation and allotment of minor mineral blocks are carried out under the standard operating procedure for e-auction and mineral concessions.
The process is governed by the J&K Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016, notified through SRO-105 dated March 31, 2016, along with applicable guidelines and notifications issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
These include the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020, the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, issued through S.O. 1533(E) dated September 14, 2006, and S.O. 141(E) dated January 15, 2016, besides subsequent amendments.
Regarding monitoring of leased mining areas, the government said minor mineral blocks are surveyed in accordance with the 2016 J&K rules and the sand-mining guidelines issued by the Union Environment Ministry in 2016 and 2020.
It said mining operations undertaken by leaseholders are regularly monitored by field-level officials to ensure compliance with mining regulations and the applicable legal framework.
At the district level, multi-departmental task force cells headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, with the District Mineral Officer as Member Secretary, have been constituted to supervise mining activities and report irregularities to the competent authorities for action under the rules.
The government also said a vigilance-cum-enforcement team has been constituted for the Kashmir division to strengthen surveillance over the extraction and transportation of mineral resources.
All leaseholders, it said, are registered on the department’s web portal and e-market/e-challan system as vendors for the sale of minerals. Transportation of minerals is carried out through security-based e-challans.
Mineral check posts have also been established at key strategic locations to monitor the extraction and transportation of minerals.
