Srinagar, Sept 22, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted a high-level committee to examine and finalise modalities for reviving customary stone quarrying activities in Panthachowk, Saderkoot, Bala Bandipora, and several other identified locations across the Union Territory. The move comes amid growing demands from local communities and construction industries for access to indigenous stone resources, which have been restricted in recent years due to environmental and regulatory concerns.
According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), the committee will be headed by the Special Secretary, Mining Department, and will include senior representatives from the Forest, Revenue, Jal Shakti, Rural Development, Geology and Mining Departments, the University of Kashmir, and the J&K Pollution Control Committee.
The panel has been tasked with undertaking a comprehensive review of the legal framework governing quarrying, assessing the environmental consequences, exploring administrative mechanisms, and suggesting ways to resume quarrying in a manner that balances economic needs with ecological safeguards. It has been directed to submit a detailed report within 30 days to facilitate informed decision-making on the revival process.
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Officials said the committee’s work will be critical in shaping a sustainable framework. “The government recognises both the importance of construction materials for development and the need to protect fragile ecosystems. The committee will provide a roadmap that ensures quarrying activities are carried out responsibly,” a senior official in the Mining Department told KNT.
Stone quarrying in Panthachowk and other areas has traditionally supported livelihoods for hundreds of families, while also supplying essential material for infrastructure projects. However, concerns over illegal extraction, deforestation, and damage to riverbeds prompted authorities to suspend operations in several sites over the past decade. The restrictions, while aimed at protecting the environment, have also left thousands of labourers without steady income and led to an increase in dependence on imported construction material, which raises costs for both contractors and common people.
Locals in Panthachowk said they welcomed the formation of the committee but urged that community participation be prioritised. “Our families have worked in these quarries for generations. While we understand the need for regulation, completely banning us has only pushed people into unemployment. The government must involve local workers when deciding the revival plan,” said Abdul Majid, a quarry labourer.
Environmentalists, however, cautioned against rushing into a revival without strict safeguards. “Quarrying can cause soil erosion, destabilise slopes, and disrupt water sources if not carefully monitored. The committee must ensure environmental impact assessments are thorough and that ecological restoration measures are built into any future operations,” said a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Kashmir.
The inclusion of the Pollution Control Committee and academic experts on the panel has been seen as a positive step towards ensuring scientific evaluation. Officials said the panel will also consider modern techniques of quarrying that minimise damage and promote reclamation of affected sites.
Contractors and builders have meanwhile pointed out that the absence of local quarrying has driven up costs of construction across the Union Territory. “We are compelled to source stones and aggregates from outside, which inflates project expenses. Reviving regulated local quarrying will not only generate jobs but also reduce costs of building roads, schools, and homes,” said a contractor from Bandipora. [KNT]
