After NGT order, Fisheries Dept raids illegal mining site in Budgam’s Sukhnag River

Budgam: Following an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the JK Fisheries Department raided several locations in Beerwah, Budgam, recently to halt illegal riverbed mining in the Sukhnag River.

Led by Assistant Director Fisheries Budgam, Mushtaq Ahmad, the team ordered workers from NKC Construction Company to remove their heavy machinery from the site. Locals have welcomed the action but expressed frustration that it came two years too late, as the illegal mining has severely damaged the Sukhnag River, a designated trout fish stream.

Earlier, on October 4,, the NGT’s Principal Bench, chaired by Justice Prakash Srivastava, heard a petition filed by environmental activist Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, highlighting the environmental destruction caused by the illegal mining. The petition stressed upon the harm to aquatic life, particularly the trout fish population.

Advocate Saurabh Sharma, representing the petitioner, presented geotagged images showing heavy machinery extracting boulders from the Sukhnag in violation of J&K’s Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016. He also pointed out that the illegal activities had led to the death of over 2,000 fish in a nearby trout farm in May, yet no action had been taken by the government.

Talking to Free Press Kashmir, Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat, said,  “This action should have been taken two years ago. The Fisheries Department shares responsibility for the river’s destruction, and any future action must be sustainable, ensuring no violations of mining laws.”

The NGT has directed the formation of a committee to investigate and submit a report within eight weeks. The committee includes representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, J&K Pollution Control Committee, and the Director of Fisheries. The J&K Pollution Control Committee will serve as the nodal agency for the investigation.