Villagers oppose proposed auction of new mining sites in Neugal river

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, December 12

Villagers of Thural and its adjoining panchayats have appealed to Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hem Raj Bairwa to stay the proposed auction of mining sites in the Neugal river and other rivulets of Dheera sub division. They told the Deputy Commissioner that if the Mining Department was allowed to auction these sites, it would encourage illegal mining. It would also pose a serious threat to the existence of water supply schemes and bridges in the area.

The Mining Department recently issued a notification for the auction of sites in the rivers and rivulets of Thural for the disposal of sand and stones that had rolled down during the last monsoon. SDM Dheera Salem Ajam along with mining officer and HP PWD officials visited the different mining sites near Thural and other areas to speed up the process of auctioning. However, no official of the IPH Department was present during the inspection of sites.

The villagers said that if these sites were auctioned, the mining mafia would get access to these rivulets which would open floodgates for mining activities. Mafia would play havoc with nature, therefore the Mining Department should withdraw its decision, they pleaded.

However a spokesman of Mining Department while talking to The Tribune claimed that it would notify the amount of material to be lifted from these sites, once the auction was completed. However, villagers said that after the auctioning of these sites, there would be no check and the mining mafia would get a license to loot the rich natural wealth of the state.

Talking to mediapersons, Sat Pal, vice president of Bathan panchayat, said that it was on record that in August last year, the Mining Department had auctioned a site near Thural. In the absence of any check, the mafia dug deep trenches in forestland, local rivulets and played havoc with natural resources. Despite repeated complaints to the mining and the Public Works Departments, no action was taken against the mafia.

Ashwani Gautam and other environmentalists who had launched a campaign ‘Save Neugal Save Environment’ in Thural areas said that if the Mining Department was allowed to auction these sites in rivers and rivulets, it would result in large-scale environmental degradation, it would also pose a threat to a water supply scheme being constructed with the assistance of Asian development Bank (ADB) in the bed of Neugal river. ADB has sanctioned Rs 113 crore for this water supply scheme to lift water from Neugal river. They sought Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s intervention in the matter.

Gautam said that before auctioning the sites, the SDM and the Mining Department should take into confidence local residents, experts, panchayats and other stakeholders. He must also seek the opinion of experts before allowing the auction of the sites.