MLA Pargat Singh raises issue of illegal mining in Jalandhar villages

Jalandhar, March 11

Scores of farmers, who have their fields along the dug-up land in Jamsher, Diwali and Hardophrala villages of Jalandhar, are upset as contractors of a ring road project have excavated earth up to 56 feet from the allocated sites.

Villagers have said those having their houses or fields adjoining the site had a risk to their lives. At Hardophrala village where digging is being done at a depth of 56 feet just along the Chitti Bein rivulet, smelly water has already started flowing into the dug up area, making the lives of people miserable.

“For the past three months, the contractors have been bringing in their machinery and taking away earth in multiple tippers. Despite our requests to the district administration, the police and even the political leaders, no one is paying a heed to this serious issue”, the villagers said, requesting Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh to take up the matter.

Pargat today first got the photography done in the morning and then went to the Assembly with fresh proofs.

Similarly at Diwali village, about 7-8 acres of land had been dug up at a depth of 36 feet. Pargat got the depth measured with a tape and said the Mining Department had allowed digging only up 3 metres or nearly 10 feet.

He alleged some leaders under the patronage of the AAP government were involved in the digging.