ریاض مسرور

Excessive mechanized mining for road construction has severely damaged the Sukhnag River in Budgam, depleting water levels, drying natural springs and destroying agriculture and fish farms. Local activist Raja Muzaffar Ali led a legal challenge that resulted in a temporary mining ban by the National Green Tribunal, though illegal activity continues. Environmental experts warn that other districts in Kashmir face similar risks. Reports highlight widespread ecological decline across the region, intensified since 2019 as mining contracts expanded, often to non-local companies. Despite court interventions, unregulated extraction persists, threatening livelihoods, ecosystems and long-term water security.