Sansowal villagers stage protest against illegal mining

Ropar, June 8

Alleging illegal mining in Swan river bed by a stone crusher owner, residents of Sansowal village staged protest near here today. Agitated villagers also forced the JCB involved in illegal mining to return without digging the river bed.

Kashmir Singh, a local resident, said he had gone to graze cattle near the river when he noticed a JCB digging the river bed. When he asked the machine operator to stop digging, he informed the crusher owner, who reached the spot and even roughed him up.

Meanwhile, other villagers also reached the spot and started protesting against mining by crusher owner, he said. On the other hand crusher owner Dalbir Singh and Mining Department junior engineer Lakhbir Singh claimed that it was a legal de-silting site and no mining rules were violated. Dalbir also alleged that protesters attacked his machine operator and him.

When contacted the Nangal SHO, Danish Veer Singh, said the police was looking into the matter.