Udhampur, Dec 16: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania on Monday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir government’s claims of controlling illegal mining, describing them as “hallucinations” and “false propaganda”. He accused the administration of targeting small-scale operators like tractor-trolley pliers and tipper drivers while allowing larger, unchecked mining operations to continue unabated.
Highlighting the grave consequences of illegal mining, Pathania pointed to extensive damage caused to infrastructure in Udhampur, including the complete destruction of the Birma Bridge and structural damages to Salmey and Kah Bridges. He warned that some of these bridges are at risk of collapse, posing severe safety threats.
During a meeting with delegations from Jaganoo, Lote, Bapli, and Thanoa, the MLA, according to a statement issued here, that excessive and unregulated mining has environmental hazards. “Rainwater is now flooding homes and agricultural fields due to the destruction of ecosystems and depletion of local water resources, once abundant in the region,” he said, adding that illegal mining has also led to loss of vegetation and wildlife habitats, which has further worsened the region’s ecological crisis.
Pathania raised questions about the legality of mining operations in Udhampur and called for clarity on whether stone crushers and mining units operating without pollution control, forest clearances or NOCs from departments like Fisheries and Water Resources are being allowed to continue unchecked.
He demanded immediate and strict measures to address the environmental and infrastructural devastation caused by illegal mining, urging the government to enforce regulations and hold violators accountable. He also called for proper permissions and clearances to be mandatory for mining operations to prevent further exploitation of the region’s resources.
In a separate event, MLA Pathania held a ‘Janta Darbar’ at Karowa, where he addressed grievances raised by residents. He directed the Department of School Education to upgrade MS Karowa to a high school and instructed the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department to operationalise the local drinking water scheme to address water scarcity.
He announced plans to develop Jaganoo Pond into a tourist destination by utilising a significant portion of allocated beautification funds to boost local tourism and employment. He also inaugurated a new road connecting Talmara to Palan, which was welcomed by the local community.
Citing failures of the PHE department, Pathania criticized its inability to repair numerous defunct hand pumps in the region, despite repeated requests. He called for a systematic approach to maintaining water supply infrastructure and ensuring access to clean water for residents.
