The Battle to Save Sukhnag

One farmer's loss from illegal mining has become a battle for justice, as Kashmiri villagers look to the National Green Tribunal to restore their river and livelihoods.

- Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat

Peerzada Rayees has spent years tending to his trout farm in Beerwah, relying entirely on the waters of the Sukhnag River.

On the night of May 23-24, 2024, his farm suffered a devastating blow. Illegal mining operations diverted the river, killing 2,000 trout weighing between 250 and 350 grams each.

The loss of nearly 600 kilograms of fish amounted to roughly three lakh rupees.

It was the loss of a life's work, the betrayal of a river the man depended on, and the stark reality of unchecked exploitation.

Rayees’s story is a window into the broader destruction along Sukhnag.

Over the past three to four years, illegal mining has stripped the riverbed of boulders, diverted water, and damaged ecosystems. Crops suffered, fisheries collapsed, and communities across Sail, Qumiroo, Kangripora, Kunigund, and nearby areas faced economic and environmental insecurity.

Between 2022 and 2024, 163 short-term permits for boulder extraction were issued, often serving as cover for large-scale plundering. Compensation meant to repair the damage rarely reached the government treasury, leaving villagers to shoulder the consequences.