Illegal mining: DC forms 5-member team

Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, April 27

The district administration has swung into action following public outcry against alleged illegal mining in the area. Following the memorandum given by the Khanan Roko Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Hoshiarpur DC Komal Mittal has constituted a five-member committee under the leadership of ADC Rahul Chaba.

The committee visited the affected areas and held a meeting with the members of the samiti and the affected people at the local BDPO office on Thursday to know their problems at the ground level. The committee led by ADC Rahul Chaba also visited Bhol Badmania village where a new crusher was being installed.

During the meeting, Sangharsh Samiti’s office-bearers Manoj Dhiman, Dharminder Singh, Naib Subedar Ashok Jaleria, Captain Rajesh Kumar, Deepak Thakur, Block Committee member Naresh Kumar Neetu etc, complained to the officials about the indiscriminate digging of rivers and mountains that has been going on in the area for a long time. People present expressed their anger taking issue with the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

They said those, whose job was to stop pollution, have poisoned the calm and clean environment of the this Semi Hilly terrain of Kandi area by opening crushers and getting mining done. According to the mining policy of the government, no mines are allotted in the area. They also took a dig at the Forest Department saying, in case of death, people have to take permission from the department to cut wood for cremation even but this was not the case for crushers.

They alleged that the PPCB has ignored all the rules and opened a number of crushers in the Kandi area. The PPCB officials claimed that they have been strict against the illegal mining and that the recovery notices of Rs 30 crore have been issued and matter was in court.

Former Sarpanch Jeet Ram Bringli, Captain Sunil Parmar, Sarpanch Subhash Bittu Jandor Haar, Yadvinder Palhar etc. raised questions on the devastation caused by the mining mafia and the functioning of the department. “In Kandi area, people are not getting drinking water but the stone crusher mafia is using the underground water 24X7 for washing sand and gravel. On the other hand, the natural sources of water are shrinking. In the villages, the water level of the government and non-government deep bore wells is continuously falling,” they alleged.

The struggle committee and the people present bluntly told the administration to rein in the crushers, to stop mining and not issuing NOC to new crushers. They warned that if the department or the government fails to solve this complex problem of the area, then people will be forced to adopt the path of struggle.

The ADC assured to listen carefully to the problems of the people and solve them. He asked to hold a similar meeting next week and apprise the people about the action taken. The ADC said, “With regard to the new crusher being established in the area, a consent to establishment has to be issued by the SDM concerned taking the information and ground report from all concerned stakeholders and Mukerian SDM will take care of the on ground situation there for it. Regarding objections of people and the reported illegal mining, I have sought a detailed information from PPCB and the department on the issue”.