The panel of experts, led by senior officials and scientists from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE), visited the site on March 18, 2026, and conducted a thorough inspection of the Sukhnag River at Sail and Kangripora villages. The committee has submitted its report through the Member Secretary of the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC). The tribunal will hear this case on July 13, 2026, and the final judgment is expected to be pronounced on that day. The petitioner in the case, Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, has demanded criminal action be taken against government officers who allowed the loot and caused environmental as well as economic loss to the state exchequer.

 

Prior to this, a joint team from the MoEF&CC, CPCB, and JKPCC had visited the site on December 26, 2024. After this, the Deputy Commissioner of Budgam constituted another team headed by the SDM of Beerwah and the DFO of Budgam. Both committees had confirmed large-scale loot and plunder in the river due to illegal riverbed mining. The illegal work was stopped in January 2025, and the NGT subsequently constituted another committee which acted as the supervisory committee. A noted scientist from NIHE, Dr. Sandipan Mukherjee, was asked to conduct a further inspection of the site along with officials from the MoEF&CC and CPCB.

 

According to the findings, the impacted Sukhnag stretch showed signs of heavy alteration to the natural river course, raising concerns about the long-term impact on the local environment and river health. The expert committee noted that extraction activities appear to have significantly disturbed the riverbed and caused damage to the river landscape, river flora and fauna, fisheries, and natural aquifers.

 

The survey covered a section upstream of the Sail Bridge, where officials recorded widespread excavation of boulders and gravel across a considerable area by digging deep trenches. Based on field assessments, the quantity of riverbed material excavated from the site was more than 15 lakh tonnes, which includes boulders, sand, bajri, gravel, and nallah muck.

 

“Based on an average excavation depth of 5.22 metres derived from field measurements, the total quantity of extracted riverbed material is estimated to be around 15.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel3 lakh tonnes. Even when a conservative depth of 3.86 metres is considered, the estimated extraction remains significantly high at approximately 10.62 lakh tonnes (as measured by G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment). These figures, although indicative, highlight the magnitude of extraction and warrant validation through high-resolution satellite imagery or drone-based surveys,” reads the report submitted by the J&K Pollution Control Committee before the NGT.

 

The report of the committee of experts has suggested a moratorium on all mining activities within 5 km upstream and downstream of Sail Bridge (up to Beerwah town) in the designated trout zone, until the river system is adequately restored. The committee has stated that there should be strict implementation of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, and the Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020, issued by the MoEF&CC.

 

Suggestions have been made for filling up deep trenches and re-levelling the riverbed sediments to restore the natural bed profile and ensure uniform and uninterrupted flow of water, and to install real-time monitoring mechanisms such as CCTV/surveillance systems at identified mining hotspots to curb illegal and night-time mining, in line with the Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines, 2020.

 

The report further reads “Undertake comprehensive river restoration measures, including riverbed re-profiling, substrate restoration, and rehabilitation of fish breeding and feeding habitats. Initiate restocking of trout and indigenous fish species through coordinated efforts of the Fisheries Department. Carry out riparian plantation and bank stabilization measures in consultation with the Forest Department to reduce erosion and enhance ecological health. Ensure regular monitoring by the Task Force to effectively curb illegal mining activities in the area.”

 

The report has also confirmed the loss of around 2,000 fish in the fish farm of Perzada Rayees, which amounts to a loss of Rs 3 lakh.

 

“I am satisfied with the report of the expert panel and hope that the NGT will impose massive environmental compensation on the authorities who allowed this loot and plunder. Criminal action should be taken against the officials who gave permissions for mining to NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd. The area around Sukhnag should be restored back, and the affected fish farmer, Perzada Rayees, should be adequately compensated with compound interest,” said Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat, the petitioner in the case.(KNS)