Srinagar, Jul 20 (KNO): Environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), seeking accountability from the Budgam administration over alleged environmental damage caused by illegal and unscientific riverbed mining in the Sukhnag River. He has argued that the Joint Committee constituted by the Tribunal acknowledged ecological damage but failed to identify those responsible.
According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Bhat, in objections submitted before the Principal Bench of the NGT in Original Application No. 1211 of 2024, Bhat has challenged the Joint Committee's report dated May 6, 2026.
He contended that although the report records environmental degradation, it neither assesses the monetary value of the damage nor fixes responsibility on officials who allegedly allowed the mining activities.
The case pertains to alleged illegal extraction of minerals from the Sukhnag River in Budgam district through heavy machinery, including JCB excavators and L&T cranes. Bhat alleged that these activities have severely affected the river ecosystem.
Referring to earlier proceedings held on September 24, 2025, Bhat said government authorities had informed the Tribunal that mining under short-term permits had ceased, no fresh disposal permits had been issued and mining operations in Sukhnag Nallah had been halted. The authorities had also stated that 215 vehicles were seized, penalties of ₹29.36 lakh recovered and 26 FIRs registered against alleged offenders between January 2024 and August 2025. The Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, had also constituted a committee to assess environmental damage.
Subsequently, the NGT constituted an independent Joint Committee comprising representatives of the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC), the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Chandigarh, and the G.B. Pant National Institute. The committee was tasked with assessing environmental damage caused by mining, examining short-term permits and illegal mining, and identifying those responsible.
However, Bhat alleged that the committee did not fulfil its mandate. While it acknowledged ecological damage, it failed to quantify environmental compensation or hold any official accountable.
A key objection raised by Bhat relates to the issuance of short-term disposal permits. He argued that official records show such permits were granted for extraction and removal of boulders from the Sukhnag River despite the absence of mandatory Environmental Clearance (EC). Citing the NGT judgment in Aman Choudhury vs Union of India (OA No. 176 of 2022), delivered on January 16, 2026, he contended that no such permits can legally be issued without prior environmental clearance.
Bhat further alleged that despite specific directions from the Tribunal to identify those responsible, the committee failed to fix accountability on the Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, whom he alleged was responsible for issuing the short-term permits. He sought environmental liability under the "Polluter Pays Principle."
The activist also referred to the Tribunal's February 26, 2026 direction asking the expert committee to assess losses suffered by trout farmer Peerzada Rayees, whose fish farm was allegedly impacted by mining. While the committee assessed the direct loss of trout fish at ₹3 lakh, Bhat argued that the estimate covered only the value of the dead fish and not the overall damage to the fish farm, which, he said, should be assessed separately for compensation.
In his plea, Bhat has requested the Tribunal to assess environmental compensation for damage caused to the Sukhnag River due to the issuance of short-term disposal permits, fix responsibility on the concerned respondent, impose environmental liability for alleged violations of environmental laws and direct compensation for the losses suffered by Peerzada Rayees' trout farm.
The objections have been filed through advocate Saurabh Sharma before the National Green Tribunal—(KNO)