J&K Admin grants minor mining rights to Panchayats

Ziraat Times Team Report

Srinagar: In a move that could raise several environmental conservation questions, Jammu & Kashmir administration has granted mining rights of minor minerals to Panchayats up to one hectare land area.

In a notification issued by the Commissioner Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department, the administration has said that the decision was taken guided by the Central Mines and Minerals Act, 1957, and seeks to amend the recently-adopted rules by Jammu & Kashmir government namely Jammu and Kashmir Minor Mineral Concession, Storage, Transportation of Minerals and Prevention of Illegal Mining Rules, 2016.

Department of Geology and Mining has been authorised to secure clearance like mining plan and environmental clearance for this new mining initiative.

Environmentalists have expressed concerns that this move would not help in restoring mining rights to indigenous people in J&K, which have been granted to entities and individuals from outside the erstwhile state, this move would result in unchecked and unbridled mining of soil, sand, riverbed stones and other minor minerals, deeply impacting the fragile environment of Jammu and Kashmir’s countryside.