Illegal mining leaves craters in 3 Yamunanagar villages

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, July 20

Illegal mining has turned a vast area of three villages into big craters (the pits look like big ponds) in Yamunanagar district.

This unscientific illegal mining in areas of Ballewala, Doiwala and Bailgarh villages may cause a threat to the ecology of the area in future. Illegal mining is still underway in these villages.

High returns a big lure for landowners

• Land in the area semi-barren
• Landowners can earn only Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre by growing crops every year
• However, if they allow extraction of mining material from their fields, they receive up to Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per acre

With the coming up of many new stone crushers and screening plants in the area in the past few years, the demand for raw mining material has increased, paving the way for illegal mining to meet the enhanced demand.

As per the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Yamunanagar, 211 stone crushers and 351 screening plants are functional in the district.

Keeping a close watch

Teams headed by the SDMs of Bilaspur, Radaur and Jagadhri are keeping a close watch on illegal mining. —Parth Gupta, deputy commissioner

A farmer said most part of the land in these villages was semi-barren and farmers could earn only Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre by growing crops every year. However, if they extracted raw mining material from their fields, they received up to Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh per acre.

Nearly 70 stone crushers do not fulfil the parameters laid down by the government.

Owners of over 10 of the 70 stone crushers reportedly dismantled their crushers in Ballewala and Doiwala villages in the recent past.

A stone crusher owner said, “Illegal mining lures everyone as it is a source of huge income. Land owners get small income by growing crops on their agriculture land, but get a huge income by carrying out mining on their land.

Official connivance

Some officials of the local administration along with owners of the land, mostly farmers, and owners of stone crushers and mining firm contractors are allegedly involved in illegal mining in the area, said a source