Modified tractors being used for illegal mining in Paonta Sahib

In a rapidly growing trend, tractors in the Paonta Sahib region of Sirmaur district are being illegally modified to function like JCB machines, enabling large-scale unregulated mining. Reports indicate that over 300 tractors have been modified, allowing operators to earn huge profits while simultaneously causing significant revenue losses to the government and displacing local labourers.

The region is home to over 30 stone crushers operating along the Yamuna and Giri rivers. A decade ago, sand and gravel were extracted manually using labourers under government lease agreements. This system provided employment to hundreds of families who depended on traditional mining methods. However, in recent years, modified tractors with a JCB machine-like features have taken over the excavation process, drastically reducing the need for labour while causing severe environmental degradation.

These illegally modified tractors, commonly known as “Tam-Tam”, operate without official approval. A single “Tam-Tam” operator earns around Rs 600 per tractor load of sand and gravel. Over a day’s work, one machine can fill 20 tractor loads, generating daily earnings of Rs 15,000 and monthly earnings between Rs 3 to 4 lakh. This widespread practice has resulted in substantial financial losses to the government, which is deprived of revenue from legal mining operations.

Beyond economic concerns, the environmental consequences are alarming. The unchecked excavation of sand and gravel has led to the formation of deep pits up to 10 ft in rivers, altering their natural flow and disrupting the ecological balance. Additionally, the depletion of riverbeds has raised concerns about a decline in groundwater levels, threatening local water availability.

Sources confirm that illegal “Tam-Tam” operations are rampant in rivers such as Shunkar (Dhaula Kuan), Bata, Yamuna and Giri, with minimal enforcement from concerned authorities.

Stone crusher operators stated that mining leases granted by the government clearly prohibit any form of extraction beyond designated zones. Meanwhile, Sona Chauhan, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, Sirmaur, said that no permission had been granted for tractor modifications. She added that any modified tractors operating as excavators without approval violate transport regulations and would face strict action.

With rising concerns from locals and environmentalists, there is mounting pressure on authorities to take decisive action against unregulated mining before it causes irreversible damage to the region's rivers and ecosystems.