Kashmir’s Rivers Under Siege from Illegal Mining
Fardeen Mohammad Bhat
The pristine rivers that weave through the breathtaking valleys of Kashmir tell stories older than memory itself. Yet today, a silent and ruthless enemy gnaws at these rivers’ lifeblood—illegal mining. Once a source of life, livelihood, and cultural identity, these riverbeds are being gutted with reckless abandon, endangering the ecology, economy, and communities that depend on them.
Illegal mining across Kashmir’s rivers—such as the Jhelum, Doodh Ganga, and Sukhnag—has escalated into a shadow economy thriving amidst regulatory gaps and institutional indecision. What appears as legal quarrying on paper often masks extraction far beyond sanctioned limits, or outright theft from stretches designated as no-mining zones. Trucks loaded with sand and gravel rumble daily across fragile landscapes, feeding the construction boom while draining the rivers dry.
This unregulated extraction fundamentally alters natural river channels. Riverbeds deepen, banks erode, and protective sediment layers disappear. Such changes do not merely deform the rivers’ physical shape—they unravel entire ecological systems. Riparian vegetation withers, fish spawning grounds vanish, and aquatic species like trout are pushed to the brink. Springs that once bubbled abundantly are drying up, turning lush terrain into zones of growing water stress.
The impact cascades directly into daily life. Farmers along these rivers suffer as irrigation canals falter and water tables drop. Orchards and paddy fields face unpredictable water flow, forcing cultivators to rely on costly alternative sources. Villagers encounter increased turbidity in their drinking water due to disturbed beds and eroded banks. Fishing communities lose habitat and access, displaced by mechanized mining operations that disregard traditional water rights.
Illegal mining also magnifies Kashmir’s vulnerability to natural disasters. Deeply gouged riverbeds lose the sediment buffer essential for absorbing flood energy, making every monsoon and snowmelt surge more dangerous. Embankments crumble under intensified currents, and settlements perched on riverbanks face growing risks. It is a perilous intersection of unchecked local actions and a worsening climate crisis—one that threatens to permanently scar Kashmir’s mountain paradise.
Although courts and tribunals have repeatedly fined the government for lax enforcement and pollution caused by mining, effective on-ground control remains elusive. Monitoring is sporadic, paperwork-heavy, and often compromised. Regulatory bodies appear overwhelmed—or at times complicit. Illegal mining networks intertwine contractors, middlemen, and occasionally elements within the administration, forming a web difficult to dismantle. Activists who raise alarms often encounter bureaucratic stonewalling or intimidation, deepening public disillusionment.
In this grim landscape, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami stands out as a rare beacon of determined environmental stewardship. As Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Environment Committee, he has placed river health and illegal mining at the centre of policy discourse. His leadership demands accountability from pollution control boards and mining regulators, pushing for comprehensive reports and actionable plans instead of bureaucratic lip service.
Tarigami’s approach goes beyond technical governance. He champions inclusive dialogue, engaging legislators, experts, civil society, and local communities to understand the multidimensional impacts of mining. By framing environmental protection as a moral obligation to future generations, he revitalizes debates often reduced to revenue calculations. His commitment underscores a vital truth: ecological justice is inseparable from the social and political stability of Kashmir’s fragile landscape.
Curbing illegal mining requires far more than fines and rhetoric. It demands strong enforcement backed by modern technology—GPS tracking of mining vehicles, real-time riverbed monitoring, and transparent public disclosure of mining leases. Just as crucial is empowering local communities. Farmers, fishers, and residents who interact daily with river ecosystems must have meaningful roles in decision-making. Only through such collaborative stewardship can Kashmir’s rivers begin their long journey of recovery.
As Kashmir navigates the tension between economic aspirations and ecological limits, the story of illegal mining stands as a warning—a tale of lost balance and long-term peril. Yet, with committed leaders like Tarigami and rising public awareness, hope remains for restoring river health and safeguarding these waters as enduring sources of life and livelihood.
Fardeen Mohammad Bhat
