Sukhnag River known for its immense socio economic and ecological value is facing great destruction and threat of extinction due to rampant and unabated illegal riverbed mining. Illegal riverbed mining unabated for the last many years has adversely affected the ecology of Sukhnag River including trout fish species. This in turn has affected the livelihood of lakhs of poor people relying on it. Sukhnag River is ecologically most sensitive and a biodiversity hotspot. Its perennial nature is changing to seasonal nature with an unstable hydraulic regime. It is a stark reality that vast areas of agricultural and horticultural land in district Budgam are facing acute water shortage for the last several years owing to riverbed mining in Sukhnag. Sukhnag is facing threats of extinction due to reckless riverbed mining and pollution. If the reckless riverbed mining continues for one more year, Sukhnag will goodbye people once for all and bring many disasters that will engulf all flora and fauna. It has been designated as Trout River because its gushing cold water, rich oxygen, boulders and cobblestones provide suitable habitat for trout fish. It is also acting as a natural drainage system. However, the destruction and devastation of Sukhnag is so high that its vast area has been turned into a desert and barren particularly at ohangam, warihama, Makhama, Sail and kanihama villages.The use of heavy machinery for riverbed mining have spelt doom on trout population due to habitat loss. Trout fish of a river once very famous have become extinct and even a fingerling of other fish species could be hardly seen from Makhama village to the Beerwah town due to its sheer destruction and devastation by illegal mining. Useful microorganisms and aquatic plants in the Nallah that help in maintaining the food chain and food web are nowhere. It is pertinent to mention that many unemployed youth who have established their trout rearing farms on water source from sukhnag are struggling very hard and are going to handshake their trout rearing farms soon. The recent large-scale killing of trout fish of Peerzada Rayees of Sail Beerwah by illegal riverbed mining is speaking volumes about unbridled powers of riverbed miners. It is pertinent to mention that Peerzada Rayees, a postgraduate youth in the subject chemistry after failing to get the government job established his trout farm with the assistance of the government. Peerzada Rayees has invested more than nine lakh on his farm but unfortunately, in the month of May 2024, his dream shattered to the ground when he lost more than 2000 fish due to halting of water supply to his farm by illegal mining prevalent in the sukhnag day and night. Although Rayees has pleaded for the help to the concerned departments but all in vain as helpless Rayees could not get any single penny of compensation. Springs once considered sacred here faced an onslaught of human greed due to illegal riverbed mining. Hundreds of springs in the Beerwah and its adjoining areas particularly Ohangam, Chewdara, Rathson, Arwah, Sail etc. once meeting drinking water and irrigation needs completely dried up causing acute water crisis in many areas. The illegal reckless riverbed mining could be the main reasons for drying up most springs. Drying up of springs has not only led to decline in water availability but also directly affected the sustenance and livelihood of people in Beerwah and its adjoining areas.
“On October 4, the Principal Bench headed by Justice Prakash Srivastava directed the constitution of a committee that will visit the Sukhnag within a few weeks to look into the facts. The committee members visiting Sukhnag include the Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB, New Delhi, a representative from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change-MoEFCC, Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee and the Director Fisheries, J&K government. The Member Secretary J&K Pollution Control Committee will act as Nodal Agency in this case. It is our religious and social responsibility to conserve and protect our Sukhnag River from dying and extinction. Indicators are clear of looming environmental threats. Concerted efforts and conservation planning are required involving all stakeholders for its conservation otherwise we will lose the precious asset that is on verge of extinction. Let us bring dying Sukhnag back to life and sustain the environment for future generations.”
The embankments of the river have been removed by heavy machines that made the lives of people at high risk to floods. Due to high demand of boulders and sand for construction, mining activities in Sukhnag are unregulated and rampant that changed the course and hydrology of the river. Guidelines on sustainable mining and monitoring of sites are ignored. Keeping in view the pathetic condition of the Sukhnag, careless people of the area have been throwing biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid and liquid wastes into it putting much pressure on the river that further devastates the river. The Green Citizen council members particularly Faiz Bakhshi, Advocate Nadeem Qadri, Er. Ajaz Rasool, Khurshid Ahmad Ganaie (Retired IAS), Syed Adil, Syed Farhat, Advocate Shuja sahib, Ahmad Ayaz, Dr Touseef, Mushtaq Ahmad wani etc. having environment ethics think that reckless riverbed mining in fragile Sukhnag will not only decline agricultural productivity and employment of people but it will bring disastrous effects that prove very harmful for the people and the environment. The water pollution of the Sukhnag has increased so much that a pungent smell is emanating from its water at many sites. People of the area are suffering many gastrointestinal infections and other ailments owing to the polluted water supply of Sukhnag. Water (prevention and control pollution) 1974, solid waste management rules 2016 are ignored and violated by the illegal contractors. They are also violating Jammu and Kashmir mineral concession, transportation of minerals and prevention of illegal mining rules, 2016 that prohibits mining within 25 metres from the embankment. Illegal mining in Sukhnag has disrupted its water flow and has affected the Hokersar wetland called Queens Wetland having great socioeconomic and ecological importance. The contractors are doing deep mining at sites particularly at curves, deep places etc. where they have their own interests. Keeping in view the destruction and its impact on river hydrology, aquatic life, employment, agricultural and horticultural lands, social activist and chairman Jammu and Kashmir RTI Movement Raja Muzffar Bhat filed a petition in the NGT that has taken the cognizance of the case. On October 4, the Principal Bench headed by Justice Prakash Srivastava directed the constitution of a committee that will visit the Sukhnag within a few weeks to look into the facts. The committee members visiting Sukhnag include the Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board-CPCB, New Delhi, a representative from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change-MoEFCC, Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee and the Director Fisheries, J&K government. The Member Secretary J&K Pollution Control Committee will act as Nodal Agency in this case. It is our religious and social responsibility to conserve and protect our Sukhnag River from dying and extinction. Indicators are clear of looming environmental threats. Concerted efforts and conservation planning are required involving all stakeholders for its conservation otherwise we will lose the precious asset that is on verge of extinction. Let us bring dying Sukhnag back to life and sustain the environment for future generations.
(The author a teacher at Govt Boys Higher Secondary School Beerwah, Budgam . The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Mushtaq Ahmad Wani
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