Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that no stone quarrying lease or mining permission has been granted in the area under scrutiny in Doda district in connection with OA No. 1362 of 2024 titled “Raja Muzaffar Bhat Vs UT of Jammu and Kashmir & Ors.”
In a compliance report submitted before the Principal Bench of the NGT, the JKPCC said the District Mineral Officer (DMO), Doda, confirmed that no mining lease exists within the polygon-marked site shown in the complaint, though three stone crusher units — M/s Butt Sons Stone Crusher, M/s Indrabi Stone Crusher and M/s Shiva Stone Crusher — are located in the area.
The report stated that raw material used by these crushers was sourced either through valid disposal permissions linked to road construction works undertaken by government agencies or procured from lawful sources.
JKPCC further told the Tribunal that authorities had taken “consistent and proactive measures” to prevent unauthorized mineral extraction in the hilly Bhabore area adjoining the crushers. It cited a 2020 communication from the Tehsildar Doda to the police seeking regular patrolling and seizure of machinery if illegal mining was detected.
The report also referred to a June 14, 2023 order through which the Tehsildar imposed a blanket ban on extraction of minor minerals in and around the GMC Ghat road and within a 500-metre radius of the crushers.
According to the PCC, recent field inspections and monitoring visits found no active mineral extraction in or around the site. The committee said the adjoining slopes consist of loose terrace deposits naturally moving downslope due to gravity and rainfall, and no signs of fresh quarrying, benching, excavation or hydraulic rock breaker activity were observed.
The report added that vegetation growth and weathered rock surfaces indicate “long-term natural stabilization,” suggesting no mining activity had taken place there for a considerable period.
JKPCC informed the NGT that out of the three crusher units in the area, only M/s Indrabi Stone Crusher is currently operational, while the e-market portals of the remaining two units have been deactivated.
The committee also submitted details of three mining mineral blocks in Doda district that presently hold valid consents to operate, including RBM extraction near the Chenab River and a gypsum extraction project at Baria, Kothiyar.
Meanwhile, the PCC said directions had already been issued to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) under provisions of the Water Act, Air Act and Environment Protection Act in December 2025.
The report also examined photographs submitted by the applicant in the rejoinder. According to the committee, some geo-tagged images corresponded to locations in Kishtwar district rather than Doda, while others merely showed storage of raw material and loading operations at crusher sites.
One photograph allegedly showing muck dumping into the Chenab River did not indicate any such disposal, the PCC claimed, while another image without geo-coordinates appeared to depict a natural landslide.
The findings regarding location verification were subsequently confirmed by the Department of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, the report added.
