Farmers away, mining mafia has field day in Ghanaur villages

Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Ghanaur, January 11

With majority of farmers from the Ghanaur area camping on Delhi borders in protest against farm laws, illegal mining of sand has become rampant here. The mining mafia, which enjoys political patronage, has dug up private land up to a depth of over 40 feet.

“We reported the matter to the district administration and the mining department in November, but to no avail. This is because the mining mafia enjoys political patronage,”a villager alleged.

“I have a rice sheller in the village. Around 30-foot-deep pits created due to mining on the adjacent piece of land now pose a threat to my building,” said Vishavjeet Singh, who has also filed a complaint with the Shambhu police here. “They are now threatening me for complaining against

reckless mining,” he said.

“Despite repeated complaints against illegal mining in the area, the district administration has done nothing in that regard. Our complaints to the police have also fallen on deaf ears,” villagers said.

“Two FIRs have been lodged over the past three months. I will verify if the mining mafia has become active again in these villages,” said Ghanaur DSP Jawinder Tiwana. “As one of the FIRs was registered in October, I will seek a clarification in that regard from the SHO concerned,” he said.

Shambhu SHO Gurmeet Singh told The Tribune that he was unaware of any illegal mining in the area. When asked if any complaint was pending in that regard, he feigned ignorance. When The Tribune said it had a copy of the complaint, he accepted a complaint was received.