Flash floods wash away culverts in Palampur area

Our correspondent

Palampur, August 17

There is a complete ban on mining and quarrying in all river tributaries of the Beas in Himachal Pradesh. The state government has also cancelled the mining lease agreements issued for various khuds, rivers and local rivulets on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and state high court. Still, large-scale illegal mining and quarrying is going on unchecked not only in Palampur region but all over the district. Illegal mining has not only created environmental imbalances but also caused huge loss to the state exchequer as the state is losing royalty worth crores every year. In current rainy season Illegal and unscientific quarrying in Kangra valley has also resulted in flash floods, large-scale deforestation and landslides.

During the recent rains, over one dozen culverts on Palampur- Sujanpur and Alampur- Jaisinghpur roads have either suffered extensive damage or washed away because of illegal mining. Official sources confirmed that over 25,000 hectares of land has seriously been affected by mining, quarrying and other activities in this region resulting in drastic reshaping of landscape.

Besides, it has also posed serious threat for the existence of power sub stations, transmission lines, irrigation and drinking water supply schemes, local paths, village roads, bridges and cremation grounds.

The issue relating to illegal mining in Kangra valley is already under the scanner various courts and the NGT. Still, government agencies have become mute spectators and allowed the mafia to extract stones and sand from the rivers and rivulets.

Awa, Binwa, Neugal and Beas rivers have turned into gold mines for the mining mafia who have abstracting mining material in broad daylight without any hesitation despite the fact that their lease agreements with the state government had already been cancelled.

Though SDMs of Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur along with officials of police and mining departments have conducted number of raids, seized tractor trailers carrying mining material and also imposed heavy fines, all this has not deterred the mining mafia.

The persons involved in this illegal trade have no legal rights to extract sand, stone, bajri and other raw material from these khuds and quarries. However, mining mafia has not only survived but flourished and survived in the region.