Illegal mining endangers bridge near Thural
Ravinder Sood
Palampur, July 20
A bridge on the Palampur-Hamirpur highway near Government Degree College, Thural, is on the verge of collapse.
The large-scale illegal and unscientific mining has posed a serious threat to the existence of the bridge. The mining mafia has constructed a road below the bridge to reach the riverbed.
A Tribune correspondent today visited the area. Villagers told him that illegal mining was going in the Neugal daily. The local authorities were well-versed with the situation but no steps were initiated to dismantle the illegal road.
The villagers alleged that state agencies had surrendered before the mafia and there was free for all. Dozens of tractor trailers and tippers could be seen on the riverbed daily, extracting sand, stone, gravels and other mining material from the river. The mafia had dug deep trenches near the pillars of the bridge, which had further weakened its foundations.
Local residents Varun Bhuria, Chander Mohan Gautama, Ashwani Rana Surinder Rana, Rajesh Kumar, Munish Kumar, Nikhil and Arvind Kumar said despite a ban, the mafia had pressed JCB machines for illegal mining in the river. They had decided to stop the illegal mining if departments failed to act. They said the river was considered the lifeline of the people as it feeds 100 water supply schemes in Palampur, Bhawarna, Sulah and Thural.
The villagers said local roads, bridges, irrigation channels, cremation grounds and village pastures had been damaged because of the continuous illegal mining in the area.
Rajiv Kalia, District Mining Officer, said his team raided the site and fined a number of defaulters. The Mining Department also dismantled the illegal road, leading to mining sites. No one would be allowed to enter the Neugal for illegal mining. He also appealed to the local residents to help the department in checking illegal mining in Thural.
Executive Engineer, Bhawarna, Manish Seghal said the matter had come to his notice. He would visit the site tomorrow. No one would be allowed to damage the bridge.
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Caption:-1) Tractor trailers and tippers extract stones from the river. (2) Bridge damaged seen in the pictures- Ravinder Sood
