Crackdown against mining mafia in Nurpur, 8 JCBs, 8 tippers seized from Chakki rivulet area

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, July 24

In a massive night crackdown against mining mafia, the Nurpur district police conducted a raid in the inter-state Chakki rivulet area last night and seized 8 JCBs and 8 tippers from Jhikli Khanni near Kandwal, which were used for illegal mining.

As per information, the seized vehicles belonged to stone crusher units and were being used in extracting sand and minerals from Chakki riverbed. The seized tippers were without number plates and were being used to transport extracted material from riverbed.

 Notwithstanding issuance of challans and paying heavy penalties under Mines and Mineral Act, the mining mafia is fearlessly active in the inter-state border area even during the monsoon season’s two-month mandatory ban. As per information, following a tip-off, police team led by Surinder Dhiman, SHO Nurpur, rushed to the spot and seized this machinery. The police team members in their civil dress entered the mining spot in private vehicles and blocked its approach path so that JCBs and tippers could not flee.

A lot of resentment is brewing among residents of surrounding villages of Chakki rivulet against the unabated mining even during the ban period in the area. Owing to haphazard and unscientific extraction of minerals from Chakki rivulet, the inter-state Natinoal Highway bridge at Kandwal in Nurpur has already been facing repercussions since August last year.

Two pillars of the bridge have been exposed from the riverbed and posing threat to the existence of the bridge, which was closed for all vehicular traffic by the NHAI on July 9.

Inquiries reveal that stone crusher units set up in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh jurisdiction near Chakki rivulet have played havoc with the water body by indulging in illegal mining during the past many years.

SP Nurpur Ashok Ratan said an FIR under Sections 379 and 34 of the IPC and Section 21(1) of the Mines and Mineral Act had been registered and further investigations started in the case. He said the police were verifying the names of owners of the seized machinery and these would be released by the court.