Illegal mining goes on in Jaisinghpur, Alampur

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, November 10

Despite serious observations by the High Court and the National Green Tribunal against large-scale illegal mining in the Neugal river and tributaries of the Beas, illegal mining is going on unchecked in Jaisinghpur, Alampur and the Thural areas of Palampur. However, in the last few months, things went from bad to worse when the police and the Mining Departments discontinued their surveillance, giving a free hand to the mining mafia to loot the state’s valuable natural resources resulting in huge loss to the state exchequer daily.

Dozens of trucks can be seen daily extracting sand, stone and other mining material from the local khuds and rivulets. In the absence of any check from the Police and the Mining Department, the illegal trade has flourished in the past three months.

It may be recalled that the High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have imposed complete ban on mining in Neugal Khud and tributaries of the Beas. After the orders of the High Court and the NGT, the Police and Mining Departments launched a massive crackdown against the mining mafia, registered dozens of cases against the defaulters and also impounded the vehicles engaged in the illegal trade.

It was also seen that the most roads dismantled by the Police, Mining and Forest Departments leading to the riverbeds were either re-constructed or re-opened by the mining mafia. Unfortunately, the departments concerned remained a mute spectator and initiated no action either to bulldoze the roads or fence the area which further led to illegal mining.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that the mining mafia in the district heaved a sigh of relief when the administration released impounded vehicles in a gross violation of rules and the NGT in its specific orders had directed the state agencies not to release such vehicles. Sources said with the intervention of senior officers of the state government, these vehicles were released.

Meanwhile the People’s Voice, a local NGO, which is spearheading its campaign against the large-scale environmental degradation in Kangra district, appealed to the state High Court to intervene to save the environment.