3000 kanals of agri land impacted , farmers hold protest

Budgam Sep (KNS) : Farmers from around 10 villages in Chadoora sub division of Budgam are aghast as three irrigation channels that emerged from Doodh Ganga stream have been washed away in recent floods. The farmers who protested near Doodh Ganga stream a few days back allege that illegal Riverbed Mining that was undertaken in the Doodh Ganga during the last 5 years caused this massive erosion and landslides. The damaged irrigation channels would impact more than 3000 kanals of agricultural land directly if not restored before March next year.

The aggrieved farmers during the protest warned authorities of more protests if they don’t come to their rescue by restoring the irrigation channels and taking the officials to task who allowed the loot and plunder in Doodh Ganga.

“ The illegal sand mining , boulder mining etc is being done in Doodh Ganga for the last 5 to 6 years using heavy machinery. This was halted to some extent last year from June after NGTs strict orders, but the damage that had already been caused in 4 years was immense. The mining block in Chadoora upstream was e-auctioned for mere Rs 1.33 Crores while material worth Rs 300 Crores plus has been looted using huge L&T , JCB cranes which is illegal. These cranes, trucks , tippers, dumpers, tractor trolleys, damaged river embankments that had small water channels -kul’s. Almost 3 to 4 such kuls have been damaged in floods recently which includes Kralpur Kul, Masar Kul and Doyan kul.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelThis will impact more than 3000 kanals of agri land directly and 6000 kanals land indirectly if not repaired before March next year when the agriculture season begins” said Abdul Rashid Sheikh a protesting famer from Doyan Chadoora

The case related to illegal mining and pollution in Doodh Ganga has been pending in the National Green Tribunal -NGT for the last 4 years. The Mining Department Budgam and Municipal Committee Chadoora have already been penalized by the tribunal with Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakhs respectively in the matter titled Raja Muzaffar Bhat v/s Govt of Jammu & Kashmir and others. In the same case the Srinagar Municipal Corporation -SMC has also been slashed with massive environmental compensation to the tune of Rs 42 crores last year for pumping untreated waste water from 13 pump stations set up on the banks of Doodh Ganga in Chanapora Bypass, Old Chanapora, Pamposh Colony, Natipora, Barzulla, Bulbulbagh, Magraypora and Tengpora areas in Srinagar.

Rs 140 Crores project has been sanctioned by J&K Govt for setting up 2 sewage treatment plants in Chanapora and Chadoora areas. The J&K Urban Environmental Engineering Department- UEED has issued tenders for phase 1 work for which Rs 67 Crores have been already allocated to them, but the work is not being taken up due to weak response from bidders. The Doodh Ganga case is again listed for hearing on September 25th 2025 (KNS)