Three booked for illegal mining despite monsoon ban in Nurpur
Despite the state government’s two-month ban on mining activities in rivers, khads and other water bodies from July 15 to September 15 to allow replenishment of water bodies during the monsoon, the mining mafia operating along the interstate border areas of Nurpur police district continues to flout the restrictions.
Acting against illegal mining, Damtal police on Monday seized a poclain excavator and two tippers allegedly being used to extract and transport minerals from the Chakki rivulet area.
According to the police, they received information that unidentified persons were illegally extracting minerals from land belonging to the local Ram Gopal temple and loading the material into tippers. A police team immediately reached the spot and seized the machinery.
The operators initially fled, leaving the machinery behind, but were subsequently apprehended.
Nurpur ASP Dharam Chand Verma said an FIR (131/2026) had been registered under Sections 303(2) and 3(5) and Section 21 of the Mines and Minerals Act against three persons — Sanjiv Kumar of Karoli village in Pathankot, Punjab; Rakesh Kumar of Damtal; and Sanjiv Kumar of Dalbir Chand, of Malot village in Indora.
He said an investigation had been initiated following the seizure of the machinery.
Meanwhile, environmentalists expressed concern over what they termed the lackadaisical approach of the State Mining Department in checking illegal mining in the interstate Nurpur police district despite the blanket monsoon ban.
