Jammu, March 17 -- The National Green Tribunal -NGT has imposed an interim penalty of more than Rs 15.79 lakhs on two contractors (project proponents) for using heavy machinery to undertake riverbed mining in Doodh Ganga stream near Chadoora town. The tribunal has directed the J&K Pollution Control Committee and District Magistrate Budgam to recover the compensation within two months from two contractors. The said contractors have also been asked to stop the mining work in Doodh Ganga forthwith. NGT's bench of Justice Sudhir Aggarwal (Judicial Member) and Dr Senthil Veil (Expert Member) had reserved this judgement in December last year.

While passing the final order on March 15th 2024 on Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat's application Justice Sudhir...