Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has strongly defended its authorisation of riverbed mining in the ecologically sensitive Sukhnag Nallah, asserting that the activity is vital for the construction of the Semi-Ring Road and falls under emergency exemptions from environmental clearance.
The response was filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). It comes amid a petition alleging illegal extraction and ecological harm in the area.
In a detailed affidavit submitted to the NGT’s Principal Bench, the Union Territory administration and the District Mineral Officer (Budgam) argued that the mining was exclusively for government work of an “emergent nature”, and therefore exempt from standard environmental approvals. The officials cited a 2020 notification from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), which exempts dredging and desilting for linear infrastructure projects—such as roads and disaster response—from requiring environmental clearance.
The case, *Raja Muzaffar Bhat vs. UT of Jammu & Kashmir & Ors.*, underscores the ongoing conflict between development projects and environmental protections in the region. The petitioner, environmental activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat, has alleged that unchecked mining in Sukhnag Nallah poses a serious threat to local ecosystems and water resources.
According to the government’s reply, a District Level Single Window Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam approved the extraction of riverbed minerals (RBM) and clay by M/S NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd.—the contractor for the Semi-Ring Road—in November 2022, even before formal no-objection certificates (NOCs) were issued. Minutes from the meeting, submitted as Annexure-I, indicate that the chairperson’s directives were treated as interim NOCs to fast-track the project.
Authorities said the extraction sites were identified by the Flood Spill Channel Division in Narbal to mitigate environmental impact. “The DMO Budgam acts tough against illegal mining,” the affidavit noted, highlighting a series of seizures, fines, and FIRs filed against violators in the past year.
However, the administration’s reliance on the 2020 MoEF&CC exemption is expected to face scrutiny. Critics argue that such provisions, meant for genuine emergencies, are being exploited to circumvent environmental norms for large-scale infrastructure development. The petitioner’s counsel has previously claimed that the mining is causing “irreversible damage” to the Nallah’s flow and aquatic life—an allegation the government’s reply does not directly address
