Despite ban, riverbed sand mining unabated in Mahendragarh

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Mahendragarh, April 19

Despite ban, the mining of riverbed sand is being carried out in the district, especially under cover of darkness with an intention to give the local police and mining authorities a slip. The sand is used in construction activities.

As many as six cases of illegal mining have been reported in the Nangal Choudhary area of the district in a week, in which the sand was being transported in the tractor-trailers to other places either late at night or in wee hours.

Interestingly, the involvement of people belonging to Rajasthan have been found in three of the six cases, while tractor-trailer drivers managed to flee the spot by taking the advantage of darkness in two incidents, sources said.

They said the local office of the Mines and Geology Department had slapped a penalty of over Rs 13.50 lakh on six such vehicles after impounding them. The drivers of three vehicles belonged to different villages of Rajasthan’s Alwar district located on the border of both the states.

“Generally, locals are a part of the illegal activity but the involvement of Rajasthan people in three cases is a clear indication that the sand is also sold there after extraction from the Krishnawati and Dohan riverbeds despite a ban on it,” the sources

said, adding that the sand was being sold in other places at cheaper rates.

An official of the Mines Department, preferring anonymity, said his office was grappling with the shortage of staff hence round-the-clock surveillance could not be conducted on the riverbeds, which were spread in the district. The mining mafia was also aware of the fact, he added.

“The focus is on sensitive areas. Surprise visits are paid there at regular intervals to check illegal mining, but the mafia becomes active in other places of the riverbeds to evade action,” the official added.

Niranjan Lal, Mining Officer, Mahendragarh, said preliminary inquiry into the cases revealed that the sand was being transported in tractor-trailers from the Nangal Kalia and Shahbazpur areas. Six tractor-trailers had been impounded in the cases.

“A detailed investigation into the case is conducted by the police only after the registration of an FIR against the vehicle on failure to deposit the fine in the stipulated period of three months,” Lal said, adding that all necessary steps had been taken to check the illegal activity in the district.

Efforts on to curb illegal activity

Preliminary probe into the cases revealed that the sand is being transported in tractor-trailers from the Nangal Kalia & Shahbazpur areas. All necessary steps have been taken to check the illegal activity in the district.

Niranjan Lal, mining officer