Forest Dept closes roads to illegal mining site in Sullah

The Forest Department today closed illegal roads on its land leading to a mining site in the Neugal river near Akhaina Temple in the Sullah area of Palampur.

A team of the department, along with manpower, reached the spot near Akhaina Temple and sealed the entry points with a barbed wire.

Talking to The Tribune Sanjeev Sharma, Divisional Forest Officer, Palampur, said the department would not allow the use of the forest land for illegal activities. “Besides fencing the access points, all illegal roads built by the mining mafia on the forest land will be dismantled,” the DFO added.

He said the mining mafia had played havoc with nature and destroyed greenery on the forest land in the Thural and Sullah areas. They had dug deep trenches on the forest land along the river.

The DFO also sought cooperation from the police and the Mining Department in dealing with the mining mafia.

He said the Forest Department alone cannot fight the mafia and needed cooperation from all departments and stakeholders.

Last month, residents of the Thural area and two NGOs working for environment protection had protested against illegal mining in the Neugal river. They lamented that the mafia had damaged local paths, electric installations, water channels, roads and cremation grounds. A video of the mining in the river had gone viral on social media. It was alleged that the mafia was carrying out the illegal activity in connivance with some local leaders.

Later, representatives of Thural, Batthan and Sedun panchayats had stage a protest and opposed the Mining Department’s move allegedly allowing the mafia enter the riverbed through the forest land.

Meanwhile, local youths who have launched a campaign against illegal mining in the Neugal river have welcomed the Forest Department’s move on fencing the roads. They said illegal mining was not only resulting in environment degradation in the lower areas of Palampur, but also causing loss to the state exchequer.