No demarcation on Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border, mining mafia goes scot-free

Tribune News Service

Arun Sharma

Ropar, May 6

Officials have been able to check illegal mining to some extent in the district, but the mafia digging up the Swan riverbed in areas bordering Himachal goes scot-free. Reason: the border between the two states is not demarcated properly.

Helpless, say officials

Mining officials admit they are helpless in taking action against the offenders in spite of nabbing them on the spot and seizing the machinery and mining material illegally dug out from the Siwan riverbed.

Mining officials admit they are helpless in taking action against the offenders in spite of nabbing them on the spot and seizing the machinery and mining material dug out from the riverbed illegally. This has happened thrice in the past fortnight.

Navpreet Singh, Sub-divisional Officer (SDO), Nangal, said: “We recently found several sand-laden tractor-trailers in the Swan river near Bainspur and Daghaur villages of Punjab bordering Bathri village of HP. While drivers fled, an unidentified person claimed he was the owner of the land, which he said was part of Himachal.”

The sarpanch of Bainspur village also claimed the land from where the material was seized was in HP, the SDO said, adding officials from the neighbouring state didn’t reach the spot. Mining is banned there.

A similar situation can be witnessed in areas adjoining Bhangal, Bainspur, Daghaur, Sehjowal and Surewal villages of Punjab, from where the Swan river passes and shares the border with Santokhgarh and Bathri of HP.

On April 19, a portable screening plant, a poclain machine and a generator set were seized by the Punjab Police. A patwari was called to the spot. Since the state border was not demarcated, the machinery was handed over to Himachal cops, said the SDO.

Vikas Sharma, tehsildar, Nangal, said, “The border is demarcated in areas whenever an issue is raised by the authorities. Appropriate steps will be taken in this case as well.”

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