Illegal mining thrives under cover of rain in Aravallis, allege villagers
Panchayats seek checkpoints, drone surveillance, action against guilty
Residents of several villages in Tauru have alleged a fresh surge in illegal mining in the ecologically sensitive Aravalli foothills, accusing mining mafias of exploiting the monsoon season to extract stones and sand under the cover of darkness.
According to residents and panchayat representatives of Chilla Pachgaon, Kharkhari and Malaka villages, miners allegedly enter the area from the Rajasthan side every evening and carry out illegal mining till around midnight before fleeing the area.
Locals claim the operations follow a fixed pattern, beginning around 6 pm and continuing late into the night. They allege that tractors, trailers and heavy dumpers use rugged hill tracks and alternative routes to avoid police patrols and transport illegally mined material to nearby construction sites, farmhouses and boundary wall projects.
“They wait for the evening when visibility drops, using the monsoon rains as a shield. They slip in, dig out soil and stones, and flee before dawn. It’s destroying the Aravalli foothills. We inform local authorities and police but no action has been taken,” said one of the village sarpanches.
The villagers said they have formed monitoring teams that record videos and photographs of the alleged mining activities, including the locations, timings and registration numbers of the vehicles involved. They claimed that this evidence has been submitted to the police along with formal complaints.
Responding to the allegations, Nuh Superintendent of Police Arpit Jain said the district administration had adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards illegal mining.
“We have zero tolerance to illegal mining. The DSP of Tauru has been explicitly tasked with ensuring round-the-clock monitoring of the Aravalli borders and vulnerable hillocks. All complaints are being addressed immediately, with strict legal action wherever warranted.”
Meanwhile, residents have demanded permanent checkpoints along vulnerable stretches of the Aravallis, regular drone surveillance and immediate action against those allegedly masterminding the illegal mining operations.
