Step up vigil, curb illegal mining, officials told

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 28

Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar today directed officials of various departments to step up surveillance in their respective areas and check illegal mining.

He specially warned the 39 officials, who have been delegated powers from various departments like IPH, PWD, Police, Forest, Revenue, Block, etc, to act against this illegal activity in their respective areas. The SDMs were also directed to conduct surprise raids and check such activities.

The officials of the PWD were specially directed to ensure that the loading and unloading of illegally mined quarry material was disallowed on their roads while the forest staff was directed to dismantle roads carved out in their jurisdiction to deter transportation of such material.

A special campaign had been initiated by the mining wing where five vehicles were impounded in Nalagarh sub-division and 17 cases of illegal transportation and four cases of illegal mining were detected, confided Assistant Geologist Sarit Chander. He added that in 520 cases detected from April to August 31 penalty worth Rs 46 lakh has been realized from the offenders.

As many as 20 sites have been identified in various sub-divisions where large-scale mining activity was detected and the officials concerned have been directed to keep vigil on them. Ten such roads have been identified in Solan sub-division which included Near Dharot at Patti-Chabiar on the Chambaghat –Salumna –Kandaghat road, Deothi village and Bochh area (uphill side) on the Solan-Subathu road, at Bajhlog on Solan-Shilli-Ashwani Khud road (uphill side), at Chewa near Lagechghat village and Kenthri along the HP PWD road, at Deonghat on the Solan-Kumarhatti road, near Damrog village on the Solan-Damrog-Jatoli road, at Rangah village  on the Nauni-Ranga Link road, near Dharo-KI-Dhar village on the Jaunjee-Dharo-Ki-Dhar road and at Baila village  on the Solan-Jaunjee Road.

In Kandaghat sub-division only one such site was identified along the Domehar-Mamlig road. In the Arki sub-division as many as three such sites had been identified which were near village Ghanaghuhat road and Kunni on the Kararaghat-Ghanaghuhat near Kansawala village at Darla Kansawala road and Dora Danga along Shimla-Darla Road.

In the Nalagarh sub-division vulnerable sites included Gambher Khud, Lohand Khud, Kanahan Khud, Chikni riverbed, Sarsa riverbed and at Ratta riverbed.