Despite ban, illegal mining goes on unchecked in Neugal

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, November 5

Despite a complete ban on mining and quarrying in the Neugal river and the state government’s stay on the allotment of mining lease on the directions of the NGT, large-scale illegal mining and quarrying is going on unchecked in Naun, Dhook, Dhaniara, Lahar and Umri areas of Thural tehsil.

Information gathered by The Tribune revealed that the government had auctioned two sites in Dhook, Dhaniara and Lahar areas in January 2019, but no mining lease has been granted to date.

However, in the absence of any check from the mining authorities, these two sites have become major points for illegal mining. The state government is losing royalty in lakhs on a daily basis. Hundreds of tractor-trailers, tempos can be seen lifting material from these areas situated on the banks of the Neugal river.

Though the Mining Department had dismantled illegal roads constructed by the mining mafia to riverbeds to extract stone and sand many times, these are restored by the mafia. District Mining Officer Rajiv Kalia said the Mining Department alone could not check illegal mining. Other stakeholders like the IPH Department, Forest Department and the PWD should also come forward to help the mining department and protect their properties from damages being caused by the mafia, he said.

Illegal mining not only creates environmental imbalance, but also causes a huge loss to the state exchequer as the state is losing royalty in crores every year.

In the current monsoon season, illegal and unscientific mining and quarrying has resulted in flash floods, large scale deforestation and landslides. Official sources confirmed that over 25,000 hectares of land had been seriously affected by mining and quarrying in Palampur, Jaisinghpur and Baijnath subdivisions, resulting in drastic reshaping of the landscape.

Besides, it has also posed a serious threat to the existence of power substations, transmission lines, irrigation and drinking water supply schemes, local paths, village roads, bridges and cremation grounds.

Awa, Binwa, Baner, Mol and Neugal rivers have turned into gold mines for the mining mafia who extract mining material in broad daylight.

Caption:- The mining material stacked by the mafia on the riverbed at Thural. Photo by writer