Cat-and-mouse game: Illegal mining road reappears despite demolitions

Despite multiple interventions by local authorities, a concealed road passage used by Punjab’s mining mafia in the Mand area of Fatehpur Assembly constituency continues to resurface, undermining efforts to curb illegal mining. The passage, situated in Shah Canal project land, has become a critical link for transporting illegally extracted minerals from the Beas riverbed to neighbouring Punjab, where stone crusher units rely heavily on this supply.

Advertisement

Local authorities, acting on the directives of Bhiwani Pathania, MLA and vice-chairman of the State Planning Board, have dismantled this clandestine road thrice in the past six months — the latest action taken on May 28. Pathania, who has consistently raised concerns about illegal mining in the state Assembly, personally oversaw the demolition in collaboration with the local administration and Public Works Department. The hidden route was being used under the cover of darkness by organised mafia networks operating across the Himachal-Punjab border, employing heavy machinery like JCBs and Poclain excavators to extract raw materials from the riverbed near Rey Pattan.

However, investigations reveal that each time the road has been dismantled — in January, April and most recently in May — the mafia has managed to reopen it within days, resuming operations unabated. Despite the MLA’s vocal opposition and orders for strict action under National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines, enforcement remains weak and ineffective against the entrenched nexus of illegal miners.

Residents and environmentalists have repeatedly appealed to Pathania, expressing deep concern over the environmental degradation and public safety threats caused by the unscientific mining. They argue that the damage extends beyond ecological harm, putting entire human settlements in Mand at risk. During monsoons, flash floods — exacerbated by excess water releases from Pong Dam Reservoir — frequently maroon villages in the area, already weakened by relentless mining.

Hans Raj, president of the Mand Area Environment Protection Samiti, has alleged that the mining mafia enjoys deep-rooted political and bureaucratic protection. He has demanded urgent action from the government — either by declaring the Mand area a “mining-free zone” or by rehabilitating the residents who face seasonal devastation due to rampant, unchecked mining.