The House Committee on Environment of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today convened a review meeting at the Assembly Complex in Srinagar to discuss critical environmental issues and challenges, particularly those related to the Geology and Mining Department.

The meeting was chaired by Committee Chairman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and attended by members including Peerzada Mohammad Syed, Rajiv Jasrotia, Dr. Sajjad Shafi, Peerzada Feroze Ahmad, Zafar Ali Khatana, Khurshied Ahmed, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar and Yudhvir Sethi.

Referring to the fragile ecological balance of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chairman stated that development must not come at the cost of the environment.

"Any development activity must be aligned with protection of the local flora and fauna," he emphasized.

The Chairman called for strict monitoring and vigilance against the illegal mining activities, highlighting the detrimental impact of unregulated mining on water levels, agriculture and the broader ecosystem. He assured the Committee would conduct on-ground inspection of various mining sites to verify compliance with environmental regulations.

"Mining of natural resources is directly linked to our environmental health. Illegal mining has led to a decline in groundwater levels, adversely affecting our agriculture sector," Tarigami observed.

He further directed the department to undertake routine inspections of mining sites and ensure no environmental degradation occurs.

The Chairman called for strict action against the violators of mining regulations. He also emphasized the need to mitigate impacts on riverbanks and beds, which disrupt irrigation and harm agriculture and horticulture.

Officers were instructed to collaborate with the environmental experts, NGOs, scientists and activists to strengthen the environmental protection efforts across J&K.

During the meeting, the Committee members raised several environment-related concerns and unanimously demanded tougher measures to curb illegal mining.

Principal Secretary, Geology and Mining, Anil Kumar Singh, briefed the Committee on the department’s ongoing initiatives to eliminate illegal mining. He stated that technology-driven monitoring systems are being used to enhance vigilance and prevent violations across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was also attended by Director, Geology and Mining, S.P. Rukwal, Chairman, Pollution Control Committee, Vasu Yadav and other senior officials.