Tractor seized at illegal mining site in Neugal river near Thural during midnight raid

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, April 5

In a midnight raid on an illegal mining site in Neugal river near Thural, the police seized a tractor-trailer extracting sand from the river. As per reports, Batthan panchyat pradhan Seema Devi and up-pradhan Sat Pal received a tip-off last night that illegal mining was going on in the Neugal river.

On their intimation, the police, along with villagers, reached the riverbed and seized one tractor-trailer while culprits manage to drive away another under the cover of darkness. The Thural post sub-inspector imposed a fine for Rs 3,000 and released the tractor-trailer today.

Earlier, the villagers of Sedwan panchyat of Thural tehsil lodged a protest over the decision of the Mining Department to provide passage to the mining vehicles through forest land for extraction of minerals from Neugal river. A large number of villagers assembled on the riverbed and did not allow the Mining Department to open a road through forest.

The villagers said the Model Code of Conduct was in force and under such circumstances, the Mining Department should refrain from taking such a decision to please a particular section of society.

They also requested the Forest Department not to grant permission for the construction of a road through forestland.

The villagers said the roads leading to the riverbed were earlier dismantled by the Forest Department and police, but the mafia had restored illegal routes leading to the riverbed.

#Illegal Mining #Palampur