Illegal Mining: 13,692 Vehicles Booked, 446 FIRs Filed, Rs 33 Crore Penalised in Two Years in Jammu Kashmir | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has checked a total of 13,692 vehicles, registered 446 police cases and recovered more than Rs 33 crore in penalties over the last two years as part of an intensified crackdown on illegal extraction and transportation of minerals, with the Mining Department deploying technology-driven surveillance and district-level enforcement mechanisms across the Union Territory.

Official figures show that in 2024–25, enforcement teams inspected 6,219 vehicles, realised Rs 16.79 crore in compounding penalties and registered 212 FIRs. In 2025–26 up to December, another 7,473 vehicles were checked, Rs 16.37 crore recovered and 234 FIRs lodged, taking the combined enforcement action to record levels.

The strengthened drive is backed by a newly developed Integrated Mining Surveillance System (IMSS) portal and mobile application, created through the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG). The system integrates dashboards with the department’s e-challan, e-market, GPS, RFID and public grievance platforms and is designed to detect suspicious activity within a 500-metre radius outside mining lease boundaries. So far, 144 automated alerts or “triggers” have been generated and forwarded to district authorities for verification, leading to additional penalties of Rs 110.47 lakh.

To regulate transportation, the government has also made GPS-enabled tracking devices with unique RFID numbers mandatory for mineral carriers. As of January 31, 2026, 2,416 such devices have been integrated with the BISAG network. Multi-departmental district task forces, vigilance and flying squads, online e-challan systems and on-the-spot penalties through point-of-sale machines have further tightened enforcement.

District-wise data reflects widespread action.

In Jammu district, 880 vehicles were checked in 2024–25 with Rs 3.03 crore realised and four FIRs registered, followed by 505 vehicles, Rs 1.95 crore and 17 FIRs in 2025–26. Kathua saw 380 vehicles checked with Rs 2.59 crore penalties and six FIRs, and 796 vehicles with Rs 2.83 crore and 15 FIRs this year. Samba recorded 527 vehicles and Rs 1.15 crore last year, and 698 vehicles and Rs 1.06 crore this year, with no FIRs.

Poonch reported 212 vehicles, Rs 0.37 crore and no FIRs in 2024–25, and 327 vehicles with Rs 0.46 crore this year. Rajouri had 216 vehicles and Rs 0.49 crore last year, and 245 vehicles and Rs 0.43 crore this year, both without FIRs. Udhampur checked 111 vehicles and recovered Rs 0.49 crore last year, and 190 vehicles with Rs 0.33 crore this year.

Doda recorded 59 vehicles and Rs 0.15 crore, and 52 vehicles and Rs 0.14 crore this year. Ramban saw 10 vehicles and Rs 0.02 crore, and 32 vehicles and Rs 0.04 crore. Kishtwar checked 50 vehicles and Rs 0.16 crore with two FIRs, and 43 vehicles and Rs 0.16 crore this year. Reasi reported 287 vehicles and Rs 0.63 crore, followed by 251 vehicles and Rs 0.46 crore.

In Kashmir division, Budgam recorded 475 vehicles, Rs 0.85 crore and 48 FIRs in 2024–25, and 548 vehicles with Rs 0.96 crore and 51 FIRs this year. Baramulla saw 369 vehicles and Rs 0.74 crore with 19 FIRs, followed by 701 vehicles and Rs 1.32 crore with 32 FIRs. Bandipora recorded 227 vehicles, Rs 0.33 crore and 30 FIRs last year, and 290 vehicles with Rs 0.56 crore and 19 FIRs this year.

Ganderbal checked 389 vehicles with Rs 0.72 crore and 44 FIRs, and 261 vehicles with Rs 0.36 crore and 20 FIRs. Kupwara recorded 385 vehicles and Rs 0.67 crore with two FIRs, rising to 859 vehicles and Rs 1.29 crore with 46 FIRs this year. Srinagar saw 251 vehicles and Rs 0.34 crore with 10 FIRs, and 283 vehicles with Rs 0.33 crore and 22 FIRs.

Shopian checked 239 vehicles and recovered Rs 0.50 crore with six FIRs, followed by 172 vehicles and Rs 0.38 crore with two FIRs. Kulgam recorded 288 vehicles, Rs 0.88 crore and 15 FIRs last year, and 271 vehicles and Rs 0.65 crore with 19 FIRs this year. Pulwama reported 497 vehicles, Rs 1.39 crore and 11 FIRs, followed by 498 vehicles and Rs 1.74 crore. Anantnag saw 367 vehicles and Rs 1.19 crore with 15 FIRs, and 451 vehicles with Rs 0.81 crore and 14 FIRs.

Officials said the combination of technology-based monitoring, mandatory GPS tracking, district task forces and on-the-spot penalties is aimed at curbing illegal mining and ensuring that mineral extraction and transport are carried out only through authorised channels, while protecting revenue and environmental safeguards across the Union Territory.