Despite ban Himachal's Chakki, Mand areas plagued by illegal mining

Illegal miners continue to operate with impunity in the Chakki and Mand areas, despite recent efforts by the Nurpur district police to crack down on their activities. The police have registered challans and cases against mining mafia and seized their earth-excavating machinery, but this has failed to deter them from extracting minerals from riverbeds in Nurpur, Indora and Fatehpur sub-divisions in the lower Kangra region.

Although the state government has imposed a blanket ban on mining activities in rivers, khuds and other natural water bodies, it has not been effective in stopping the mining mafia. Inquiries reveal that stone crushers in the Chakki River area and Mand area have been using heavy machinery to extract raw materials from the riverbed at night.

The Chakki, Beas and Chhonchh rivers in the lower Kangra region are considered lucrative for miners and illegal mining is a highly profitable business in the area. A recent video clip showing illegal miners extracting raw materials from the Chakki rivulet in Khanni and Lodhwan areas in Nurpur has gone viral, highlighting the brazen nature of these activities.

Local MLAs Bhiwani Pathania (Fatehpur) and Malinder Rajan (Indora) have expressed serious concerns over the issue in the assembly session. Rajan, who represents 14 Mand area panchayats downstream of the Beas River, has highlighted the impact of mining activities on flooding in the area and has demanded that the government declare the Mand area a no-mining zone until a permanent solution is found.

Pathania has also raised concerns about the impact of illegal mining on local agriculture and the environment. He has suggested that the government register FIRs against illegal miners and private landowners who facilitate stone crushers. Pathania has also demanded a blanket ban on mining in a 3.50 km area downstream of the Beas River to protect the local environment and agricultural land.

Hans Raj, president of the Mand Area Environment Protection Samiti, has welcomed the MLAs’ efforts and urged the Chief Minister to intervene and declare the Mand area a no-mining zone immediately.