J&K Environment Committee Pushes for Zero Tolerance on Illegal Mining: Tarigami Mandates Satellite Surveillance and Digital Resource Tracking

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 06, 2026 — In a major push to safeguard the region’s ecology, the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment, M Y Tarigami, chaired a high-level review meeting of the Geology and Mining Department today, advocating a zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining operations across the Union Territory. Emphasizing that natural resources belong strictly to the public, Tarigami declared that indiscriminate exploitation will no longer be tolerated and urged a decisive transition from routine paper monitoring to real-time ground and technological oversight. To establish a robust first line of defense against illegal mineral extraction, the Chairman called for the aggressive adoption of advanced tech solutions, including satellite surveillance, mandatory GPS tracking, e-permits, e-challans, and the full implementation of the Unified Mining Portal to ensure scientific, transparent, and sustainable resource management.

During the comprehensive session, the legislative panel evaluated the Action Taken Report stemming from the recommendations tabled during the Budget Session 2026 and reviewed the progress of the upcoming Comprehensive Minor Mining Policy-2026. Joining Tarigami, 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 collectively urged attending officers to enforce mining laws with utmost strictness. The lawmakers stressed the critical need to bolster inter-departmental synergy among the Geology and Mining Department, Revenue, Police, Forest officials, and district administrations. They noted that seamless coordination is essential not only to prevent environmental degradation and protect fragile riverbeds, but also to plug revenue leaks and maximize non-tax returns for Jammu and Kashmir. The strategic meeting saw active participation from key top officials, including Additional Chief Secretary of Geology and Mining Ashwani Kumar, the Chairman of the J&K Pollution Control Committee (PCC), the Director of Geology & Mining, various District Mining Officers, and senior officers of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat.