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  • By Abid Bashir
  • Comments 0
  • 29 Mar 2026

NGT crackdown in J&K reveals widespread violations

Exposes illegal mining, pollution in waterways; Rs 41 cr penalty on SMC

Srinagar, Mar 28: A strong environmental crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir has brought to light extensive violations ranging from illegal riverbed mining to untreated sewage discharge into key water bodies like Doodhganga and Shaliganga, with crores of rupees imposed as environmental compensation following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Responding to a question tabled by MLA Ali Mohammad Dar, the government revealed that significant penalties have been levied against violators in compliance with NGT and Supreme Court directions, particularly invoking the “Polluter Pays Principle.”

The data placed before the House shows that a single firm, M/s NKC Projects Pvt. Ltd, faces environmental compensation exceeding Rs 3 crore for illegal riverbed mining across multiple blocks in Shaliganga Nallah. The violations span key stretches including Derigam, Banderpora, and Lalgam, highlighting the scale of unchecked extraction.

The reply said show-cause notices have already been issued to the firm and its response is currently under examination, with a final order awaited. The revelations also point to individual miners in Pulwama district being penalised. 

Environmental compensation amounting to over Rs 15 lakh collectively has been imposed on two miners operating in Kakapora and Awantipora. However, the matter has taken a legal turn, with both individuals approaching the Supreme Court, leading to a stay on recovery proceedings.

More striking, however, is the scale of liability fixed on urban bodies for pollution. The government disclosed that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) alone has been slapped with compensation exceeding Rs 41 crore for pollution in Doodhganga Nallah. 

Additional penalties worth Rs 3.51 crore were imposed more recently, reflecting continued non-compliance. Similarly, municipal bodies in Budgam and Chadoora have also come under scrutiny. Compensation amounting to over Rs 3.7 crore and Rs 1.41 crore respectively, has been levied on these bodies for failing to prevent pollution and ensure proper waste management.

The NGT, in its earlier order, had held the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir accountable for failing to curb illegal dumping of solid waste, discharge of untreated sewage, and mining-related pollution in Doodhganga and Mamath Kul. It had directed the government to deposit interim compensation of Rs 1 crore under each violation head for environmental restoration.

Despite financial allocations of around Rs 67 crore for Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) along Doodhganga and adjoining areas like Barzullah and Chadoora, the government acknowledged delays in execution. The responsibility for these delays has been attributed to the Department of Urban Local Bodies, raising concerns over implementation gaps even after judicial intervention.

The response also indicates that only a nominal amount—Rs 29,200—has been realised so far in certain enforcement actions, underlining the slow pace of recovery despite massive penalties.

The disclosures paint a concerning picture of environmental governance in the region, where judicial directives have repeatedly flagged violations, but enforcement and infrastructure execution continue to lag. With multiple cases pending before courts and compensation yet to be fully realised, the focus now shifts to whether corrective action on the ground can match the scale of the environmental damage already assessed.

 

 

 

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