Punjab not to allow legal mining within km of international border

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, October 31

Just about three months after mining in the border districts of Punjab came under the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s scanner, the State has decided that legal mining would not be allowed within a km of the international border.

In an affidavit, the advance copy of which was circulated among the parties concerned today, the State also submitted that the decision had been taken following the concerns expressed by the army and the BSF. The State added another decision taken vide orders date October 18 was that screening-cum-washing plant and stone crushers would not be allowed to operate within 2 km of the international border.

The State also sought the High Court’s permission to carry mining activity in six sites regarding which no objection had been raised by the Indian army. It added that the department was also making every “necessary effort to stop any sort of illegal mining and threat to national security caused by mining activities being carried out in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts”.

It also undertook to actively consider all recommendations by the army authorities.

The affidavit added nine out of 16 mining/de-silting sites had valid environmental clearances. The clearances were granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change/ /State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). Referring to the remaining seven sites, the affidavit said SEIAA vide letter dated October 7 had allowed de-silting operation till December 11 subject to certain conditions.

“Keeping the serious concern of the High Court as observed in its various interim orders dated July 2, August 2 and August 29, the department has taken a conscious decision not to permit/undergo mining/de-silting sites situated in the districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Amritsar without High Court’s prior permission,” it added.

The army, in response to High Court directions on submission of a report on the damage to spurs and bunkers following mining activities, had claimed that the structural integrity and strength would indeed be affected.

In an affidavit, Capt Ashima Das, working as “OIC legal cell” at Chandimandir submitted: “The mining would affect the structural integrity/strength of the bunkers in the proximity.”

It was added that mining would result in soil erosion, thereby causing bunkers to cave in and also reduce the defence potential of “Dhussis”.

The mining of river bed was also likely to change its course and alter the depth at various places, thereby disrupting the defence layouts.

The mining would also affect the natural drainage of water leading to unpredictable flooding. Besides this, mining would also restrict movement space and, thereby, “incur associated delays in reinforcement and counter attack tasks”.