Tracks of trouble: Illegal riverbed mining puts Pathankot-Jammu rail link at risk

Just two years after the collapse of the Kandwal railway bridge on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow gauge line, another vital rail structure is teetering on the edge of disaster. The Pathankot–Kandrori Chakki railway bridge, located near the Dhangu area in Himachal Pradesh’s Indora Assembly constituency, is under serious threat due to rampant, unregulated mining of the Chakki riverbed. Despite repeated warnings from environmentalists and locals, the state’s Mining Department has failed to act effectively, putting a major transportation corridor at risk.

This bridge is a key link between Pathankot Cantt and Jammu railway stations, facilitating vital passenger and goods movement between northern states, including Punjab, Haryana, and the national capital Delhi. On July 21, disaster was narrowly averted when floodwaters from the swollen Chakki rivulet washed away one of the bridge’s embankments just moments after the Malwa Express had passed. The train had departed from Pathankot Cantt when the erosion occurred, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

Following the incident, a technical team from Indian Railways’ Delhi headquarters visited the site and conducted a structural assessment. As a precaution, train speed on the compromised bridge has now been reduced to just 10 kmph—down from the already-restricted 20 kmph enforced last August. Alarmingly, about 90 trains, including passenger and freight services, use this bridge daily, highlighting the scale of disruption that a potential collapse could cause.

Local communities and environmental activists have long raised concerns about the illegal mining activities degrading the Chakki river’s ecology. These operations are not only destroying the local flora and fauna but also accelerating land erosion along the riverbanks, weakening the structural foundations of bridges.

A petition currently before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Delhi highlights the severity of the issue. In March, the NGT named 11 mining lease holders and 14 stone crusher units in Nurpur and Indora subdivisions as respondents and issued notices through the Kangra district magistrate.

The parallels with the 2022 Kandwal bridge disaster—also allegedly caused by illegal mining—are striking and alarming. If the Chakki bridge were to collapse, it would sever a crucial rail route connecting northern India to Jammu, severely impacting passenger mobility and national logistics.

Ironically, a district mining office was set up in Nurpur back in 2016 to tackle precisely this kind of illegal activity. However, local residents claim the department has been largely ineffective, blaming deep-rooted political patronage and administrative apathy for the continuing menace.

Environmentalists now demand urgent action, including declaring all areas around railway bridges as “no mining zones”. They stress that unless immediate and concrete steps are taken, the region may witness another catastrophic infrastructure failure, jeopardising lives, connectivity and ecological balance.