Shivalik hills in Kangra, Una districts being razed for illegal mining

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, April 27

Shivalik hills in Kangra and Una districts are being ravaged for mining. Heavy machinery is being for razing hills for mining by stone crusher owners, making environmentalists worried.

Use of heavy machinery allowed

The state government has allowed the use of all kinds of machinery, including poclain machines, for demolishing hills in leased areas. It is legal to raze hills in leased mining areas. How much cutting of hills is allowed depends on individual lease agreements with people. Rajeev Kalia, District Mining Officer, Kangra

Prabhat Bhatti, an environmentalist and bird photographer, said, “Shivalik hills are being razed with the help of heavy machinery by stone crusher owners on the border of Una district with Punjab near the Nangal wetland area on the Una-Kangra border and on the banks of a local rivulet that is home to many rare birds, reptiles and other wildlife.”

Sources said that the government allowed razing of hills up to a few metres under the mining lease. However, the mining lease holders allegedly in connivance with officials concerned were allowing the hills to be demolished up to 20 metres to 30 metres at some places.

The sources said that the government had given permission to raze hills with the use of heavy machinery to a select politically-influential people, who were violating rules with impunity.

Meanwhile, investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have revealed that the state government has been deprived of a revenue of Rs 79.87 crore due to illegal mining and unreported sale of mined material without the payment of statutory dues by a stone crusher in Una district. The ED has passed a provisional order to attach movable and immovable assets of Lakhwinder Singh, owner of the stone crusher, and the Special Court Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at Dharamsala has taken cognizance of the case.

The sources said that in the said case most of the mining involved razing of hillocks in Una district.

Despite such a massive theft detected in one case in Una district, illegal mining was going on in many areas of Una and Kangra districts. The Shivalik hills were being ravaged as the government had allowed the use of heavy machinery for razing hills for mining.

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