Illegal mining: Geospatial survey of Shivalik Hills sought

Vijay Bansal, president of Shivalik Vikas Manch, a social organisation, has written to the Additional Chief Secretary of the Mining and Environment departments of the state, demanding a geospatial survey of the Shivalik Hills spanning Panchkula, Ambala, and Yamunanagar districts to curb illegal mining.

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Bansal, who previously filed a landmark PIL in 2004 that helped curb illegal mining nationwide, claimed that even the hills behind the Punjab and Haryana High Court building had been targeted by illegal miners.

The Shivalik Hills, once renowned for their greenery and wildlife, have long been a crucial natural barrier and a source of climate moderation for the region, including Chandigarh.

Bansal said mining activities caused cracks in hills. He urged the government to ban all mining activities, both legal and illegal, within 5 km from the base of the hills. He called for an independent inquiry into the mining mafia’s political and administrative backing by a retired High Court judge.