New Delhi, March 7, 2026 : A government-appointed fact-finding committee has confirmed that illegal riverbed mining has caused extensive damage to the Sukhnag River in the Beerwah area, raising serious environmental concerns in the region.
The seven-member panel, constituted by the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam district in August last year following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has submitted its findings to the tribunal through the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC).
According to the report, the Sukhnag River, which is recognised as a designated trout fish stream, has suffered severe ecological degradation due to extensive and illegal extraction of minerals from the riverbed.
To restore the damaged ecosystem, the committee—led by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Beerwah and the Divisional Forest Officer of the Pir Panjal Forest Division—has recommended several remedial measures. These include filling deep trenches created by mining, levelling the riverbed, constructing gabion structures and check-dams, and creating artificial pools to support trout breeding and restore aquatic life.
The tribunal is hearing the matter based on a petition filed by environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat, following which a supervisory committee was earlier constituted to oversee the investigation.
This committee includes representatives from the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment.
During a virtual meeting held on February 24, members of the supervisory panel observed that the submitted report was largely qualitative. Sandipan Mukherjee, a scientist with the Himalayan Environment institute, stressed the need for a physical site inspection to accurately assess the environmental damage.
Similarly, Khurshid Alam Khan from the Ministry of Environment pointed out that additional quantitative data is necessary to determine the exact scale of destruction and to identify those responsible.
During a hearing on February 26, the NGT directed the expert panel to conduct a site visit within the coming weeks. The tribunal also asked the committee to assess losses suffered by Peerzada Rayees, a trout fish farmer from Sail Beerwah, whose fish farm was reportedly damaged due to the river’s degradation.
The directive refers to a communication from the J&K Directorate of Fisheries, confirming the reported losses.
According to petitioner Raja Muzaffar Bhat, the expert committee is expected to visit the site soon, as the matter is scheduled for the next hearing before the tribunal on March 27, 2026. The panel has been asked to submit its report at least one week before the hearing.
The NGT had earlier imposed a complete ban on mining in the Sukhnag River in January 2025, after a joint inspection team reported widespread devastation during a site visit conducted in December 2024.
Environmental experts have warned that unchecked mining activities threaten river ecosystems, aquatic biodiversity and livelihoods dependent on fisheries, making restoration and strict enforcement measures critical.
