Labourers, tractor drivers back in business at sand mining sites in Nawanshahr district

Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, February 6

After resuming the supply of sand from Burj Tehal Dass and Khoja pit heads in Nawanshahr, these sites have now again revived as a source of livelihood for labourers.

Only manual loading allowed

Due to manual loading and prohibition on cranes and JCBs, it takes about half an hour to fill a trolley, for which a team of six to eight labourers are engaged at a time. — Gurjeet Singh, SDO (Mining), Nawanshahr

The tractor trolley drivers, who had lost their jobs due to the suspension of sand extraction and mechanical loading of sand, and labourers have resumed the work with full force. About 59 trolleys were loaded with sand till today afternoon from both these sand mining sites.

At Khoja, driver Udham Singh, who came from Lalewal village to load a trolley, said the old days were back for tractor trolley drivers and labourers, who had been out of work, with the resumption of the sand sites.

One Mohan Das, who visited to fill sand from Bharta village, said today he got sand at a price of Rs 5.50 per cubic foot. He said for some time it was difficult for the common man to get sand and build a house, but now it seems that many of their problems will be solved by getting sand at a cheap rate.

One of the labourers, Sohna, engaged in sand loading work at Burj Tehal Dass said for the first time after 15 years, it felt like the government had spared a thought for the poor labourers who work manually.

Nawanshahr SDO (Mining) Gurjeet Singh said due to manual loading and prohibition on cranes and JCBs, it takes about half an hour to fill a trolley, for which a team of six to eight labourers work. He said according to the orders of the government, any trolley driver could load sand by bringing his own labour. While going outside from the sand mine site to the destination, it is also mandatory to cover the trolley to prevent the sand from causing any type of problem to the commuters.