Over 50,000 MT of sand, gravel illegally mined in Yamunanagar village

Tribune News Service

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, March 26

As much as 50,592 metric tonne (MT) raw mining material (mixture of boulder, gravel and sand) was allegedly stolen by carrying out illegal mining on a piece of land at Balle Majra village in Yamunanagar district.

Rs 1.51 crore worth of minerals mined illegally

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Screening plant dismantled

• Illegal mining was carried out on 0.70 acres after dismantling a screening plant at Balle Majra village in Yamunanagar
• It came to light when a team of the Mining Department and the CM’s flying squad inspected the site of a dismantled screening plant
• The team found that a big pit has been formed on the land of dismantled screening plant

The area of the illegally excavated land is 0.70 acres and the illegal mining was carried out on this land reportedly after dismantling a screening plant from the place.

As per the calculation of the Mines and Geology Department, Yamunanagar, the penalty amount of this illegally excavated mineral totals Rs 1,51,87,600.

According to information, the huge illegal mining came to light when a joint team of the Mining Department, Yamunanagar, and CM’s flying squad conducted an inspection at the site of a dismantled screening plant in Balle Majra village on March 20, 2023.

The team found that a big pit had developed on the land of dismantled screening plant due to illegal mining.

Rajesh Sangwan, assistant mining engineer (AME), Yamunanagar district, said they had detected a theft of 50,592 MT of boulder, gravel and sand in Balle Majra village.

“The total penalty amounts to Rs 1,51,87,600. It includes the cost of the mineral of Rs 1,26,48,000, royalty amount of Rs 25,29,600 and a fine of Rs 10,000,” said AME Rajesh Sangwan.

Earlier, a team of the Mining Department, led by AME Rajesh Sangwan, had conducted a secret raid and caught an earth moving machine and a tractor-trolley allegedly carrying out illegal mining on the said piece of land three months ago.

Sources said this was one of the biggest cases of the huge mining detected by the Mining Department headed by AME Rajesh Sangwan in Yamunanagar district in the past six months.

As per a report of the halka (area) patwari, the khasra numbers of the said land were 15, 5-6. These khasra numbers do not fall in the area of the legal mining quarries, therefore it was a case of illegal mining.

On the complaint of the Mining Inspector, Rohit, a case was registered under Section 379 of the IPC and Section 21 (1) of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development Act) at the Pratap Nagar police station on March 23 in connection with illegal mining.

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