No mining in core river areas in Punjab

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh, February 12

Punjab has stopped giving permission for sand mining in the core area of water flow of all rivers.

Confirming the development, Secretary (Mines and Geology) Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said, “It has been decided that desilting in the natural water flow area of the rivers will not be allowed.” Mining in many desilting sites had earlier been allowed following a Cabinet decision in 2018. In a departure from the decision, the department has now started confining mining only to areas which were a part of the original tenders before the Cabinet decision. Even in these areas, mining is being allowed only after the approval of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

The biggest impact of mining in the core area of rivers has been the change in the water flow, causing damage to land and houses on the banks. Inhabitants have been protesting over the issue of the changed water flow for years.

In 2019, residents of Kakrali village in Dera Bassi subdivision protested against sand miners operating at night and digging up sand until the early hours of the morning. Villagers were afraid of visiting the river for fear of being attacked by the mining mafia. Miners even built temporary bridges.

In February 2022, sand mining was reported from villages near Phillaur in Jalandhar district where villagers said sand mining was harming the Sutlej banks and posing a threat to the adjoining land. Villagers of Nakodar and Pathankot areas have also spoken out against the impact of mining in the core water flow areas.

A senior officer of the Mining Department said, “The decision is important since excessive mining affects the normal course of the river. Any change in the course of a river tends to cause soil erosion, which is a major cause of floods during the monsoon.”