Shivalik hills in Una dist being ravaged by illegal mining

The Shivalik hills in the Haroli Assembly constituency of Una district are being ravaged by illegal mining. In Haroli, which is close to the Punjab border, heavy machinery is being used to level the hills to the extent that the terrain of the area is getting changed.

Sources say that in one such case though the hills that are being levelled are on private land, the state government has not granted permission to the owner to use heavy machines to raze them. The government has fixed about Rs 12.5 lakh as the fee for the use of a JCB or poclain machine for a two-year period. However, in the Haroli area, many JCB and poclain machines are being used for levelling hills without paying any fee to the government or seeking permission for the use of heavy machines.

The sources say that the government has permitted cutting of hills up to the maximum 6 metres in Haroli. However, people involved in mining have already cut hills beyond the permitted limit. They have also violated conditions laid under the environment impact assessment. The person involved in illegal mining in the Shivalik hills in Haroli is already facing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case.

Director (Industries) Yonus, who also holds the charge of the Mining Department, says that he is aware of the case and has ordered an inquiry into it. All aspects of the ongoing mining activities will be assessed in the inquiry and action will be taken if the violation of rules is ascertained in the case, he adds.

District Mining Officer Neeraj Kant says that the government has granted permission for mining in the present case but not for the use of heavy machinery. “My office has forwarded the case for permission for the use of heavy machinery to the state headquarters but the permission is still awaited,” he adds.

Haroli is the Assembly constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Recently, while speaking at a public function, Agnihotri had openly expressed concern over illegal mining in Una district. He had directed the district administration to stop the movement of tippers on roads in the district during morning and evening rush hours. Following the directive, the district administration had banned the plying of tippers in the district during morning and evening hours.

The district administration had also proposed to check illegal mining with the help of drones. However, still a few influential people are blatantly indulging in illegal mining in the district, damaging the ecology.