Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 16: Following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order to investigate damage from illegal riverbed mining in the Sukhnag river, the J&K Fisheries Department conducted raids at few locations in Beerwah today, halting the illegal activity.
The team, led by Assistant Director Fisheries Budgam, also directed workers of a construction company to remove their JCB and L&T cranes from the site.
Locals appreciated the action but criticized the delay, stating it should have been taken two years ago, as illegal riverbed mining has already caused severe damage to the river, a designated trout stream in Kashmir.
It is to be noted here that on October 4, the NGT’s Principal Bench, comprising Justice Prakash Srivastava (Chairperson), Justice A.K. Tyagi, and Dr. Senthil A. Veil (Expert Member), heard a petition filed by Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, against the illegal mining, which has caused environmental damage and devastated aquatic life, especially the trout fish population.
Advocate Saurabh Sharma, counsel for the petitioner, presented factual details to the NGT Principal Bench and submitted geotagged pictures of heavy machinery and dumpers extracting boulders from the Sukhnag Nallah in violation of J&K’s Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 2016.
The petitioner’s counsel had also argued that in May this year, the halting of water flow resulted in the death of over 2,000 fish at a nearby trout fish farm owned by local entrepreneur Peerzada Rayees.
Despite this, it was stated that the Government failed to register an FIR against the illegal miners and contractors.
“The Department is also responsible for the destruction of this beautiful river, which once had a thriving trout fish population. Now, that population has vanished. The action taken should be sustainable, not cosmetic,” said Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat.
The Principal Bench, led by Justice Prakash Srivastava, had ordered the constitution of a committee to investigate the matter and submit a report within eight weeks.
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