Srinagar, March 21 -- The crackdown on illegal mining in Jammu and Kashmir is more than a law-and-order campaign; it is a battle for the survival of rivers, soil, and communities. Over 13,600 vehicles seized and 446 FIRs registered in two years are not just statistics of enforcement, they are evidence of how deeply this destructive trade has burrowed into the fabric of society. The fact that 2025-26 has already surpassed the previous year's seizures within nine months is a chilling reminder: the machinery of exploitation is relentless, feeding off demand and desperation even as authorities tighten their grip.

Illegal mining is not merely theft of sand and stone, it is an assault on the environment itself. It tears apart riverbeds, weaken...