Rampant Illegal Mining in Poonch Amidst Torrential Rains Sparks Outrage and Demands for Accountability

No fear of law? Illegal sand extraction continues round the clock under administrative silence
Open defiance of disaster advisories exposes deep-rooted official-miner nexus. Who will take the blame if life is lost during this monsoon mining madness?
JJ Toseef Ganai
Poonch: Despite relentless monsoon rains inundating the border district of Poonch, illegal mining operations continue unchecked in flood-prone and ecologically sensitive areas such as SK Bridge, Betar Nallah, Shindra and Nangali. Tractors can be seen brazenly operating in the middle of overflowing rivers completely disregarding warnings issued by the Meteorological Department, district administration, and local police.
While the administration circulates advisories urging people to stay away from riverbanks, a parallel reality plays out on the ground where open, round-the-clock illegal mining thrives under the nose of the very authorities who claim to be safeguarding lives. The glaring contradiction has alarmed locals, activists, and environmentalists alike.
What explains this impunity? Why is illegal riverbed mining continuing without resistance in broad daylight? Where are the enforcement teams of the District Mining Office when these violations take place daily? Is the District Mining Officer (DMO) merely incompetent or is he complicit?
According to credible sources, the DMO and his subordinates are not just turning a blind eye but are allegedly offering active protection to illegal operators. Shockingly, while these hazardous operations carry on unchecked, no substantial crackdown has been reported, despite the imminent threat to human life and environmental stability.
This has triggered a public outcry. As one local resident asked, “If a tractor gets washed away or someone dies, will the DMO take responsibility? Or will it be blamed on nature?”
Biased Action?”Targeting the Poor, Not the Powerful”
Adding fuel to public anger is a growing perception of selective enforcement. Several villagers and small-time tractor owners claim that administrative action is disproportionately targeted at poor farmers those using tractors for subsistence-level sand collection while wealthy crusher owners and big contractors continue to operate 24/7 with full impunity.
“Crushers owned by influential people run nonstop even during heavy rain. But the moment a poor villager takes out a tractor to earn his daily bread, the administration launches a ‘drive’ against him. Is the law only for the poor?” asked another frustrated local.
The allegations paint a deeply troubling picture one where rules are enforced not uniformly, but selectively, seemingly favouring those with money, influence, and political connections.
Amid the rising anger and danger, locals and social activists have now called upon the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Poonch to take suo motu cognizance of the situation and launch an immediate inquiry against the District Mining Officer and his team. There is a widespread demand for a comprehensive audit of mining activities and a thorough investigation into the DMO’s conduct and possible collusion with the illegal mining lobby.
Citizens have also made an urgent appeal to the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor & chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir to intervene personally and ensure that no official remains above the law. The public insists that administrative silence should no longer be allowed to shield corruption and endanger innocent lives.
Apart from the moral and administrative rot, experts warn of grave ecological consequences. Unregulated riverbed mining during monsoon erodes natural embankments, disrupts aquatic life, and heightens the risk of landslides and flash floods. In a hilly and vulnerable region like Poonch, the damage could be catastrophic and irreversible.
What is unfolding in Poonch is not just an environmental hazard it is a crisis of governance. The inaction and alleged collusion of mining officials, especially the DMO, raise serious questions about integrity, intent, and the selective application of law.
If a tragedy occurs and the current conditions suggest it’s only a matter of time the blood will be on the hands of those who had the power to act but chose not to.