BANDIPORA: For the last 30 years, 43-year-old Mushtaq Ahmad of Kashmir’s Bandipora district of North Kashmir has been working as a stone craftsman.
A father of three, Ahmad belongs to Bandipora’s more than 50 thousand-strong stone craft community, locally known as sangtarash (stone cutters or skilled workers who cut, carve, or shape stones).
Following his forefathers, Ahmad knew nothing but only one occupation all his life – cutting stones, shaping them beautifully and then selling them in the market.
Not anymore.
Nine years ago, Ahmad stopped it all.
A government ban on mining of local "devar" stone brought his life, as he knew it, to an abrupt end. Artisans say it's unfair, especially when stones from other states like Gujarat are allowed.
“For years, I supported my family with this work. After the ban, everything changed. The government tells us to look for other jobs but does not provide any alternatives or address our concerns. It’s about survival for many of us," he said.
Another artisan, Zahoor Ahmad , 42, learned the craft from his father in 2008. He once earned enough to feed six mouths, pay school fees, and save for his daughters' weddings. Now, debts pile up.
"We sold our goat last month for rice and for my children's school fee," he confesses, with a throbbing melancholy.
The ban has not only robbed them of daily necessities but also left their aging daughters and sisters waiting years for marriages that they can't afford.
"My eldest sister, 32, waits at home. No money, no match. The government says 'protect the earth,' but who protects us?”
"It was our traditional work, passed down through generations, that took care of our families. But they banned it without thinking about our needs or what would happen to us…….”
He pauses and then quizzically asks, “Who will support our families in these times of inflation when everything is too costly?"
The Ban and Its Impact on People
The woes of the stone carvers began in 2016 when Jammu and Kashmir government banned mining in many areas. This was to stop unsafe digging that could cause landslides or harm nature.
The ban cut off access to “devar” stone, a strong gray-blue rock perfect for building and sculpting. Artisans like Shawqat Ahmad and Mushtaq Ahmad, who learned the craft from their fathers, now sit idle.
"This is our life, not just a job," Mushtaq says. Families report going hungry, with over 50,000 families across the region possibly affected, though exact numbers are hard to estimate.
The blanket ban has left workshops empty and people with no alternate jobs. Some are turning to low-paid, unskilled jobs like daily labour.
“But during the harsh winter in Kashmir, even labour jobs are not available,” says Mushtaq Ahmad, talking about the grim reality.
What Officials Say
The government says the ban is in place for safety and the environment. In places like Khanpora in Baramulla, mining stopped after a quarry collapse raised dangers.
Riverbed mining has also been a grave issue. The Supreme Court recently upheld a ban on mining in the riverbeds without a scientific study regarding sand replacement. However, some digging still happens, leading to calls for stricter rules.
Last summer, Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, also called for "zero tolerance" on illegal mining.
However, the carvers of Sanderkoot, Bandipora in North Kashmir alleged that it is less about protecting the environment and more “a political agenda to disempower us.”
Grievances of Stone Engravers
The stone engravers in Sanderkoot, Bandipora (North Kashmir) and activists supporting their cause argue that the 2019 mining ban on local ‘devar’ stone has devastated their livelihoods without fair justification or alternatives.
The ban, they say, cut off raw materials essential to their craft, causing hunger, delayed marriages, and loss of cultural identity for thousands of families.
A key grievance is a perceived sense of discrimination.
Shakeel Ahmad, an activist campaigning for justice for the stone engravers said, “The devar stone is banned due to 43.68% mineral content (lab tests show 43.68% CaO, classifying it as a major mineral). Yet, Rajasthan's Kota stone (constituting roughly 38% to 40% or up to 68% to 70% according to different analyses) is freely imported and used in government projects. So, are stones from Gujarat with higher mineral content.”
Local activists and stone-engravers have been agitating since the blanket ban. “Despite submitting documents, lab tests, and meeting with officials for nearly a decade, promises remain unfulfilled,” Ahmad added, dismayed by what he called "fake assurances" from the authorities.
The stone engravers are not demanding a complete lifting of the ban, but regulated, sustainable mining. They seek manual, small-scale extraction permits in ancestral quarries (like Gujarat's model), site assessment and reopening of safe quarries (per 2025 committee recommendations), and alternatives including job training, subsidies, and use of local stone in public projects.
They also demand uniform mineral content rules across states.
A recent official lab report from the Jammu & Kashmir Geology and Mining Department, dated August 2025, shows that a stone sample from the Sanderkoot area contains 43.68% calcium oxide (CaO).
However, the stone engravers question the double standards. “Why ban 43% mineral stone while allowing over 80% from Gujarat?” they ask. Shakeel Ahmad said that stones with higher mineral content have been imported from other states and used in projects like Wullar Vantage Park in north Kashmir's Bandipora.
What Environment Experts Say
Environment experts warn that digging limestone, like Devar stone in places such as Bandipora's Sanderkoot, can badly hurt Kashmir's sensitive Himalayan environment.
If not done carefully, it causes soil to wash away, ruins good farmland, spreads dust that dirties the air and harms farms nearby, and messes up underground water and rivers. This is worse in rocky limestone areas, where it makes holes in the ground and changes water paths.
Studies show unregulated extraction leads to soil erosion, dust pollution harming farms and air quality, and disruption of groundwater and rivers.
A study on stone crushing and quarrying in Poonch district (J&K) found huge dust, noise, water pollution, reduced agricultural productivity, biodiversity loss, land degradation, unproductive waste lands, poorer water quality, accidents, and health hazards for nearby residents.
Riverbed mining (often tied to minor minerals like those used in stone work) has been especially harmful.
Experts note it dries up streams, lowers groundwater levels, kills fish by destroying habitats, and increases flood risks. These issues are already seen in tributaries like Doodh Ganga and Shali Ganga.
Reports highlight how heavy machines strip riverbeds, alter flows, cause erosion during rains, and contribute to events like the 2014 floods.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has banned operations in streams like Shali Ganga (2022 order, upheld by Supreme Court in 2025) due to no proper replenishment studies, violations of clearances, and ecological harm.
NGT also intervened in Doodh Ganga cases, noting that mining reduces the river's flood absorption and affects water supply schemes.
They broke the rules and hurt nature. NGT says all mining needs strict checks called Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) to avoid permanent damage.
In the wider Himalayas, limestone digging in rocky areas (like Kashmir) makes ground holes, changes water paths, and risks landslides on steep hills.
Research warns of lost homes for animals, dirty rivers killing water life, and a long-term drop in plants and animals.
Experts want safe ways to save nature and jobs: only hand-digging (no blasts or big machines), small areas with must-do checks, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), fix sites by planting trees, control dust and noise, and turn old sites into farms or animal homes.
Without control, it could ruin plants, animals, and water in this weak area.
Experts suggest solutions like reusing waste or turning old sites back into farms or wildlife homes. Studies say this cuts harm by up to 40% in like places.
In 2025, the government created a team with pollution experts and academics from the University of Kashmir to check sites to restart work safely, not just ban everything.
Devar vs. Kota Stone
Building experts who focus on green designs say using local stones like Devar is better for Kashmir's cold winters. Traditional Kashmir homes use wood and stone to stay warm, unlike modern ones that get too cold.
"Vernacular architecture uses local materials for climate resilience," experts note in reports on Indian buildings.
Local stones reduce energy use and shipping pollution. Devar stone, a local limestone, holds heat well and lasts in snow and rain. It's suited to the Himalayas' shakes and cold.
Kota stone from Rajasthan is durable too, but it is suitable for hotter places. It cools buildings in the heat with thick walls.
In Kashmir's cold, importing it adds transport costs and pollution. Experts praise local stones for low energy use and fitting the environment.
"Local materials cut emissions and support communities," says a guide on sustainable sourcing.
For traditional hammams (fire heated rooms used in winter), experts and locals find value in Devar stone's heat retention.
Maqbool Ahmad, an activist and expert in the field, explains that Rajasthan's Kota stone is totally different from Kashmir's Devar.
"It can't be used for local projects here in Kashmir, especially for hammams - a traditional fire heated room often made in homes and mosques, designed to provide warmth during the harsh period of winters. If they use it, it won't last long, not more than just 5 years," he said.
Traditional hammams use limestone like Devar on bricks and mortar for heat. Kota is tough and non-porous, but may need extra care in cold, wet areas, and doesn't hold heat for long and can crack as well if used for hammams and other local projects in Kashmir.
In cold climates, stones like granite or bluestone (similar to Devar) handle freezes without cracking. Experts recommend local material for true sustainability.
Demands and Official Response
A letter from the Joint Director of Geology & Mining Department, Kashmir to the Director, dated March 29, 2022, mentions a representation from villagers of Gund Saderkoot, Hajin, Bandipora about a quarry license application under SRO-105.
The letter references previous correspondence and explains that the District Mineral Officer reported that people from Gund Saderkoot have traditionally been engaged in stone chiselling on their Shamilaat (common) land and have paid royalties to the Geology and Mining Department. The DMO recommends reviving this traditional art of chiselling under proper rules, noting it would provide employment to many people and make chiselled stones available for public benefit.
The letter is appended with a detailed proposal for reviving traditional stone work for approval.
Yet, despite this correspondence, artisans say the mining restrictions continue, leaving families without work and turning their hope into an endless frustration and worry.
Mirroring the demands of the artisans, the proposal argues for controlled mining, lays bare the department's own recognition of the crisis facing traditional stone carvers in places like Gund Saderkoot, Bandipora.
The documents explains that the department is unable to grant quarry licenses to ancestral holders because physical verification reports show limestone with CaO above 34% (minimum) and MgO below 5% (maximum), as per the Indian Bureau of Mines notification dated April 25, 2018.
The documents include a detailed proposed amendment to Rule 44 of the J&K Minor Mineral Concession Rules (SRO 105, 2016), which would allow quarry licenses in ancestral areas certified by the Revenue Department if the limestone has less than 85% CaCO₃ or occurs in small isolated pockets under 4 hectares. This is directly inspired by Gujarat's 2017 Minor Mineral Concession Rules that permit controlled quarrying in similar low-grade areas.
It stresses upon constitutional duties under Articles 39 and 41 for protecting the right to livelihood and work, notes Kashmir Valley's vast limestone spread (1,100 sq km, yet only 0.63% under concession), and points to Gujarat's 2017 Minor Mineral Concession Rules as a model, which allow controlled quarrying in areas with less than 85% CaCO₃ or small isolated pockets under 4 hectares.
The action plan proposes identifying certified ancestral quarries suitable for carving, granting licenses on the Gujarat analogy, re-categorizing qualifying limestone as "Dimensional Stones" with royalties under SRO-105, restricting extraction to manual methods without blasting, limiting use to non-major purposes, and amending relevant rules in SRO-105.
The background section highlights stone carving as a centuries-old Kashmiri livelihood using local limestone for homes, hammams, pathways, and more, historically supported by short-term permits under 1960 rules, now threatened by machine-made imports and raw material shortages despite the 2016 rules clustering ancestral sites.
Supporting records from the District Mineral Officer, Bandipora (dated March 8, 2022), show consistent royalties from chisel stones between 2007 and 2018, with quantities ranging from 490 MTS (July 2018) to over 4,300 MTS in peak years, generating lakhs of rupees in government revenue and proving the tradition's economic value.
Yet, despite this thoughtful proposal, including photos and annexures, the hoped-for revival has not materialised, deepening the artisans' frustration as families continue to suffer amid ongoing restrictions.
A 2024 follow-up letter references this proposal, high CaO levels in samples exceeding the 2018 Indian Bureau of Mines threshold (making it a major mineral), and efforts like site clustering, yet the hoped-for changes remain pending.
This internal push for revival with justifications tied to constitutional livelihood rights highlights the gap between government admissions of the crisis and the ongoing hardship for Sanderkoot's carvers, who continue to wait amid promises of committees and reviews as recently as October 2025.
In September 2025, the Jammu & Kashmir government issued Order No: 1228-JK(GAD) forming a high-level committee to explore reviving traditional stone quarrying at Saderkoot Bala (Bandipora), Panthachowk (Srinagar), and related sites.
The J&K government issued Order No. 1228-JK(GAD) in September 2025 to review legal frameworks, assess environmental impacts, and explore administrative mechanisms under the 2016 Minor Mineral Concession Rules.
Thereafter, a committee was set-up. Led by the Special Secretary (Mining) and including representatives from Forest, Ecology & Environment, Revenue, Jal Shakti, Rural Development, Geology & Mining Department, a Professor from the University of Kashmir’s Geology Department, and the J&K Pollution Control Committee, the panel was tasked with reviewing legal frameworks, to assess environmental impacts, exploring administrative mechanisms under the 2016 Minor Mineral Concession Rules, suggesting sustainable and community-sensitive modalities, and recommending a clear way forward.
The order clearly required the committee to submit its detailed report with recommendations within 30 days from September 22, 2025.
However, over four months later, neither the report nor any public update on progress has been made public, leaving Sanderkoot’s sangtaraash artisans and their families still waiting in uncertainty amid years of stalled promises and livelihood struggles.
Have you liked the news article?