Desilting, illegal mining eroding Punjab’s ecology
Heart of Punjab: The NGT allowed the tender process to continue but restrained any actual desilting without its permission, effectively freezing physical activity on the ground
illegal mining has emerged as a focal point of environmental concern in Punjab following a series of strong orders by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has exposed how river desilting and hill mining slipped into large-scale commercial exploitation, bypassing mandatory environmental safeguards. In its February 17 order, the NGT stayed desilting work in rivers and seasonal rivulets across Punjab, including key sites in Ropar district, after observing that the exercise was being undertaken not merely for flood management but for commercial gain. The case arose from a petition challenging an auction notice issued by the Punjab Water Resources Department for desilting works, under which the excavated silt and sand were to be sold in the open market.
