Mafia wreaking havoc on ecology, warns wildlife board member

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 8

A week before Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh ordered action against illegal mining on the Sutlej riverbed, a member of the Punjab State Board for Wildlife red-flagged the threat to the Shivalik foothills from about 100 illegal stone crushers installed by influential politicians in Anandpur Sahib subdivision.

In a letter to the CM on February 26, Anandpur Sahib-based Tikka Shiv Chand, a long-time aide of Capt Amarinder, alleged that illegal mining was taking place on the riverbed of the Sutlej and its main tributary, Swan. The number of crushers on the riverbanks has increased alarmingly after the Congress came to power last year, he had claimed.

He said, “As sand and gravel are available in limited quantity, the crusher owners have started digging the Shivalik foothills, especially from Kahanpur Khoohi village to Khera Kalmot village. At the forefront of this illegal activity is Ganga stone crusher, owned by close relatives of a top politician of the ruling party.”

He alleged that illegal mining in the subdivision was started by the owners of this crusher at Khera Kalmot village a decade and a half ago. Ganga stone crusher is owned by the family of Dhruv Singh Kanwar, son-in-law of Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh.

When contacted, Dhruv’s father Ram Sarup Kanwar said the crusher was not being used for any illegal activity. He claimed that there were hundreds of crushers in the area, but he was being targeted due to his political links.

Others involved in illegal mining are Dashmesh stone crusher, Mahavir stone crusher, Ludhiana stone crusher and Grewal stone crusher, all located at Khera Kalmot village, Tikka alleged.