NGT Team Surveys Illegal Mining In Kashmir Villages

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) By Syed Sammar Mehdi

Srinagar - A team appointed by the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday inspected sites in Pulwama and Budgam districts where residents have alleged large-scale illegal earth mining.

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The joint team included senior officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Central Pollution Control Board. They were accompanied by the deputy commissioners of Pulwama and Budgam.

The officials visited Zadoora village in Pulwama and Rangeen Kultreh and nearby areas in Chadoora, Budgam. The visit follows an order issued by the tribunal in February after a petition filed by environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat.

At the sites, the team met orchard owners and residents who said mining over the past two to three years had damaged farmland and Karewa plateaus. Several villagers accused a private company, NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd., of extracting soil and minerals without proper safeguards.

Residents called for strict action against those responsible. They also asked for compensation and restoration of damaged land.

Dr. Basharat Qayoom, the deputy commissioner of Pulwama and the coordinating officer appointed by the tribunal, told locals that damaged areas in Zadoora would be restored and affected orchardists compensated.

In Budgam, Deputy Commissioner Athar Amir Khan said similar steps would be taken. He directed officials to stop issuing fresh permissions for earth mining in the district.

The tribunal's order came after it took note of claims that nearly 1,000 kanals of Karewa and orchard land had been affected by unregulated mining in parts of Pulwama and Budgam.

During a hearing on February 6, a bench led by Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said the allegations pointed to serious environmental violations and required immediate verification on the ground.

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The petition submitted to the tribunal included geotagged photographs, lists of affected farmers, and documents obtained under the Right to Information Act. It alleged that heavy machinery, including excavators and JCBs, had been used to extract clay, sand and gravel without environmental clearance or valid mining leases.

The plea also cited violations of the Jammu and Kashmir Minor Minerals Concession Rules, 2016, and the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines.

The tribunal has asked the joint committee to assess the scale of mining, identify those responsible, and recommend corrective and punitive measures. It also asked the panel to review whether required environmental clearances were in place.

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In its order, the tribunal referred to the Supreme Court judgment in Deepak Kumar vs. State of Haryana, which requires environmental clearance even for small mining leases. The ruling warned that unchecked mining can weaken soil, harm biodiversity and cause long-term ecological damage.

The case is scheduled for further hearing on May 18.

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