The smooth flow of River Chenab is getting hindered and environment damaged as government agencies and private contractors engaged in building a number of power
projects and widening the Jammu—Srinagar highway continue to dump the excavated debris directly into the river ignoring the warnings of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and courts.

The contractors lobby without bothering for the penalty imposed by the NGT from time to time continues to dump boulders and muck on hill slopes of the rivers Chenab and tributaries of Tawi which finally flows down due to rains.

Complaints of debris being thrown into the Chenab have also been pouring in from the Kishtwar district where several power projects are being built and the National Highway is also being widened.

The additional district magistrate, Kishtwar, Kishori Lal Sharma, has ordered the police to register an FIR under Section 133 against the R&B Infra Project Pvt. Ltd; and the National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd “for violating the environment norms by indiscriminately dumping” muck and debris on the land acquired for construction of the Rattle hydroelectric project..

The report of the district administration warns that unscientific dumping of muck and debris at unspecified locations along the National Highway-244 was leading to severe damage to the ecology flora and fauna of this ecologically fragile area.

Besides, the debris flow into river Chenab leading to irreparable damage to its physical and biological features which bears offences and are punishable under Environment Protection Act 1986; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1975 besides it leads a public nuisance in the area under Section 133.

Chenab, which is one of the most turbulent rivers in the world, is virtually being misused as a debris bin by builders engaged in road and power projects construction. After flowing into J&K from Himachal Pradesh, the Chenab crosses through the Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Reasi and Jammu districts before entering Pakistan.

It is worth mentioning that last year the NGT pulled up the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and its contactors for dumping muck in Chenab River in the course of four-laning of Udhampur to Banihal national highway in Jammu and Kashmir and asked the State Pollution Control Board to take coercive measures.

A bench of NGT Chairperson noted, “State PCB may accordingly proceed with coercive measures, including assessment and recovery of compensation for the damage and initiating prosecution against the violators of environmental norms, following the due process of law.”

The order came following two inspection reports filed by the Divisional Officer of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) on the status of the muck dumping on July 31 and September 17.

The report stated that the muck dumping in almost all sites was found done in an un- scientific manner and without proper compaction and terracing.

The debris excavated in the widening process has been found unscientifically dumped down the hill slopes into the seasonal rivulets. The dumping sites were overflowing and not properly maintained. NHAI failed to exercise supervisory control,” the committee noticed.