Crackdown against mining mafia continues for 2nd day

Palampur, December 2

Crackdown against the mining mafia continued in the Jaisinghpur area for the second day today. A team of officers headed by Jaisinghpur SDM Sanjiv Thakur conducted raids at different mining sites on the Beas riverbed, an area notorious for illegal mining.

A JCB machine belonging to a crusher owner was spotted in the river extracting sand and minerals from the riverbed. When the police and officials of the Mining Department chased the JCB, the driver took it to the middle of the river. Because of the heavy flow of water, the police could not reach near the machine. The police are verifying the names of its owners.

Bridges, culverts develop cracks

• Owing to haphazard and unscientific extraction of minerals from the Beas riverbed, the entire Jaisinghpur region is facing repercussions with most of the drinking water supply and irrigation schemes going dry
• Several bridges and culverts have developed cracks because of the movement of heavy vehicles. In the last monsoon, floodwater entered Halehr village because the Halehr khud changed its course. A bridge on the khud was also washed away in floods

The Jaisinghpur SDM said over 36 tonnes of sand was also seized from the riverbed stacked by the mafia illegally. He said the mafia had played havoc with nature with hundreds of deep trenches can be seen on the riverbed between Harispattan and Alampur.

Notwithstanding issuance of challans and paying heavy penalties under the Mines and Mineral Act, the mining mafia is fearlessly active in Jaisinghpur despite complete ban on mining in the Beas. During a visit to affected areas, it was seen that a lot of resentment was brewing among residents of surrounding villages of Jaisinghpur against the illegal mining going on unabated. There are over 100 trucks, tippers and tractor-trailers without registration number plates that are involved in illegal mining on the Beas riverbed.

Thakur said the police were verifying the names of owners of the machinery involved in the illegal mining.

During a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police recently, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had given free hand to them to rein in the mafia with iron hand. He categorically said he would not like to see any news in the newspapers pertaining to illegal mining in the state.