It has now come to fore how Sukhnag river in central Kashmir’s Budgam district has been vandalised and plundered on the pretext of mining!An official report based on extensive survey has revealed how 15 lakh tonnes of riverbed material (RMB) comprising boulders, sand, nallah muck and gravel, were illegally extracted from the river. This wanton extraction of riverbed material has severely altered the natural course of the river and extensively damaged its flora and fauna. 

Originating from glaciers in Pir Panjal Range, Sukhnag is one of the tributaries of Jhelum river. Passing through Tosa Maidan, the river flows through several villages in Budgam. Its water is mainly used for drinking and irrigation purposes. However, failure of authorities over the years to ensure protection of Sukhnag has given free hand to undertake illegal riverbed mining—causing extensive damage to the river’s hydrology, flora, fauna and aquatic life including trout.

Prompted by inaction of authorities to act against illegal mining, a noted environmental activist Dr Raja Muzzafar Bhat petitioned the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which constituted a high-level committee of experts. The committee has found visible signs of indiscriminate and unscientific extraction of riverbed material within the active river channel as well as along the peripheral catchment areas.The panel after extensive scientific survey found that based on an average excavation depth of 5.22 metres derived from field........

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