Illegal mining unabated on Sutlej riverbed in Phillaur

Aparna Banerji

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Jalandhar, February 4

In the middle of the poll code of conduct, the issue of sand mining has reared its head in several Phillaur villages, especially Selkiana and Kadiana villages.

Villagers say sand mining bids are causing harm to the Sutlej banks and also giving rise to threats of severe damage in case of floods. On January 24, villagers from Kadiana held a protest outside the office of SDO Khushminder Singh alleging an attack on one of the village panches regarding the issue.

Notably, a villager said if sand mining was continuing even during the poll code, what positive hopes they should have from the future government? Villagers said the arrest of Mukhtiar Singh of Asahoor village on illegal sand mining charges only validates the allegations they had been making.

Notably, many river-side villages of Jalandhar have time and again complained of illegal sand mining. Many villages of the flood-ravaged Shahkot and Lohian belts, after the 2019 floods, had alleged that the damage from floods would have been considerably less if illegal sand mining hadn’t taken place.

Villagers of Kadiana as well as Selkiana have also been holding dharnas at their respective villages against illegal sand mining.

Mehar Singh, husband of panch Jaspreet Kaur of the Kadiana village, said, “We had been holding protests since December against sand mining. On January 24, we held a protest against the Jalandhar SDO. Days ago, a man was nabbed for conducting illegal mining in the area. However, the mining has stopped after the arrest. The issue is that mining stops when the police act strict. But later again, unruly elements begin digging the river banks for sand.”

Khushminder Singh, Assistant District Mining Officer-cum-SDO, said, “The arrest made on January 31 was concerning illegal mining. The accused was taking away one trolley of illegal sand from the village and was immediately arrested as soon as the compliant was made. The village is also an approved site for de-silting process to ensure better river flow. De-silting also involves picking up sand from the village for legal purposes and for easing the river flow. The problem is villagers also interpret this legal process as sand mining. This has also created factions within the village.”

Sources said the villages had a colony of poor labourers who were employed in the legal mining process. The mining department says tussles in the village are caused by factions which believe legalised mining provides employment to poor labourers in the village.

The ASI of the Lasara police chowki, said, “The person arrested on January 31 was Mukhtiar Singh. He was manually picking sand from the village and hadn’t employed any JCB machine. After his arrest, no sand mining has taken place in the village.”

An invitation to floods?

Many river-side villages of Jalandhar have time and again complained of illegal sand mining. Many villages of the flood-ravaged Shahkot and Lohian belts, after the 2019 floods, had alleged that the damage from floods would have been considerably less if illegal sand mining hadn’t taken place