Tarigami calls for zero tolerance against illegal mining

Ziraat Times News Desk

Srinagar, Aug 6: Chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment, M Y Tarigami, on Thursday called for a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal mining and advocated the use of satellite surveillance, GPS tracking and digital monitoring to protect the Union Territory’s natural resources.

Chairing a review meeting of the Geology and Mining Department, Tarigami said natural resources belong to the people and their indiscriminate exploitation would not be allowed. He stressed the need to shift from conventional paper-based monitoring to technology-driven oversight to ensure scientific and transparent mineral extraction.

“Technology, especially satellite surveillance, GPS tracking and digital monitoring, has to become our first line of defence against illegal mining,” Tarigami said during the meeting.

The committee reviewed the Action Taken Report on recommendations made during the Budget Session 2026 and assessed the progress on the proposed Comprehensive Minor Mining Policy-2026.

Committee members, including MLAs Professor Gharu Ram, Dr. Baldev Raj Sharma, Daleep Singh, Showkat Hussain Ganie, Javaid Ahmad Mirchal, Dr. Sajjad Shafi, Salman Sagar, Javaid Riyaz (Bedar) and Dr. Rameshwar Singh, jointly urged officials to strengthen enforcement against illegal mining.

The legislators called for expedited implementation of technology-based monitoring systems, including GPS tracking, e-permits, e-challans and the Unified Mining Portal. They also stressed the need for stronger coordination among the Revenue, Police, Forest and district administrations to curb illegal extraction, protect the environment and enhance government revenue.

Additional Chief Secretary, Geology and Mining, Ashwani Kumar, Chairman of the J&K Pollution Control Committee, the Director of Geology and Mining, district mining officers and officials of the Legislative Assembly attended the meeting.