Panchayats, NGOs oppose illegal mining at Palampur, Jaisinghpur, Sulaha

Our Correspondent

Palampur, July 29

Illegal and unscientific mining in the rivers and rivulets of the Kangra valley is likely to be an election issue in the Assembly elections due later this year. Panchayats, environmental bodies and local NGOs are opposing illegal mining in areas of Palampur, Jaisinghpur and Sulaha Assembly segments. They have threatened to boycott those encouraging illegal quarrying. Also, those helping mafia in getting permission for the installation of stone crushers will be boycotted.

One dozen panchayats in Thural area have expressed opposition to illegal mining in the Neugal river, which feeds nearly 100 water supply schemes. Likewise, Bundla panchayat has also opposed the sanctioning of mining leases around 100-meter from the Kandi bridge over the Neugal river. Santosh Kumar, pardhan, says the mining lease has been granted in the Drognu area which is extracting mining material in the Bundla panchayat.

Rivers like Neugal, Mol, Bhiral, Baner and Beas are the worst affected despite the fact that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the state government have imposed a complete ban on mining in these rivers.

Sources say that Ravinder Ravi Dhiman, Jaisinghpur BJP MLA, recently wrote a letter to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressing grave concern over illegal mining in the Beas and Neugal rivers, which has not only caused loss in crores to the state exchequer but also become a major environmental hazard. He has requested the Chief Minister to act against mining mafia.

He has informed the Chief Minister that despite his best efforts, state agencies had failed to take action against the mafia in Jaisinghpur and Thural areas. “As long as he remains the MLA, he will not allow any new mining lease or installation of a new stone crusher in Jaisinghpur,” he said.

Palampur MLA Ashish Butail has also lodged protest against the large-scale illegal mining going on near the Neugal bridge at Bundla (Palampur). He had also written a letter to the Chief Minister saying that illegal mining and quarrying in the Neugal river had posed a serious threat to the bridge over the river. He had urged the Chief Minister to intervene and take steps to stop illegal mining near the bridge.

When asked, an Executive Engineer of the IPH Department admitted that illegal mining was posing a serious threat to several irrigation and drinking water supply schemes in Palampur and Thural. The 400-year-old Kirpal Chand Kuhl, originating from Neugal, which feeds over 30 panchayats comprising hundreds of villages of Palampur, Bhawarna and Daroh blocks, is in danger because of continuous mining in the catchment areas of the Neugal near the Kandi bridge.

Quarrying has also resulted in large-scale deforestation, landslides and flash floods.

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