Moga villagers take on mining mafia

Tribune News Service
Moga, March 19

Residents of Dholewala and its adjoining villages in the district took on the mining mafia by stopping at least 40 trucks, tippers and tractor-trailers laden with sand during the past two days and handed them over to the local police.

However, no action was taken against these vehicles, which were loaded with sand from the river belt during the night time against the mining rules.

The locals alleged that mining activities had suddenly increased manifold in the past few days. All mining operations in the Sutlej are carried out during the night time, they added.

Karaj Singh, sarpanch of Dholewala village, Anoop Singh, Dholewala Khurd village, Raman Singh, Kannian village, Jagjit Singh, Sherpur Khurd village and other residents of the area alleged that the link roads in and around Dholewala were built recently, but overloaded trucks/tippers of the mining mafia had damaged these.

They claimed that the mafia was indulging in indiscriminate and unscientific mining activities in the Sutlej river belt in Pipli Mayani area of Jalandhar district and few locations in Moga. However, all heavy vehicles overloaded with sand were transporting sand through Moga district causing damage to local environment and infrastructure.

There was no route plan notified by the state government for the plying of trucks and tippers laden with mining minerals, they added.

ADC to discuss issue today

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Moga Anita Darshi has summoned a meeting of the Mining Department, panchayat of Dholewala village and mining contractors on Wednesday. 

A local magistrate visited the mining sites and inspected the damaged link roads on Tuesday. He submitted a report to the district administration, following which the ADC has called 

the meeting to discuss the issue. Further action will be taken by the administration, accordingly.