Jammu and Kashmir has been battered with a series of cloudbursts and heavy rains for the last over a month causing extensive damage to property and death of 31 persons. We need to understand the importance of maintaining rivers and streams as these natural drainage systems are detrimental to reduce losses amid rising incidence of cloudbursts and heavy rains. When there are cloudbursts and intense rains in upper reaches, water gushes downstream into rivers and streams. Boulders in these streams play an important role to slow down speed of water saving downstream human habitations from flash floods. However due to unabated illegal mining, boulders and other riverbed material has been excavated in most of the stream in J&K. This has severely altered the natural water flow of these streams. 

A glaring example of illegal mining is Sukhnag river in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. An official report has revealed how 15 lakh tonnes of riverbed material (RMB) comprising boulders, sand, nallah muck and gravel, were illegally extracted from the river, altering its natural course and extensively damaging flora and fauna. Last month we witnessed the devastation caused by flash floods in Sukhnag. 

Sukhnag originates from glaciers in Pir Panjal Range, passes through Tosa Maidan and flows through several villages in Budgam. Failure of authorities over the years to prevent illegal mining caused extensive damage to the river’s hydrology, flora, fauna and aquatic life. On a petition by noted environmental........

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