Illegal mining damaging road infra in Nangal, farmers protest

Farmers on Sunday staged a protest against the alleged illegal mining along the Swan in Nangal subdivision, claiming that it had caused irreparable damage to the riverbed while leaving the road infrastructure unusable in the area.

They demanded immediate repair of the Algran bridge over the river, saying illegal mining had damaged its foundation due to excavation near its pillars. The bridge has been lying unused for over two years now. Led by members of the All-India Kisan Sabha, they said the riverbed too had sunk over 20 feet due to the illegal practice. Surjeet Singh Dher, district president of the farmers’ body, said residents of about 100 villages in the area had been hit due to the damage to the bridge.

He alleged that the villages remained inaccessible in the rainy season as flash floods in the river washed away a temporary passage created through the riverbed.

The protesters claimed that most of roads in the region had been damaged due to the plying of heavy tippers that carry illegally mined material.

The bridge over Swan at Algran village was damaged in July 2023. The government had recently floated a tender worth Rs 17 crore for its repair.

A protester said illegal mining took place at night, giving sleepless nights to people residing near the river.

The protesters also alleged that the water table in the area had declined by around 30 feet in several villages of the Bhallan belt as continuous mining of sand hampers seeping of water into the soil, creating problems in groundwater recharge. Surjeet Singh demanded that the government totally ban mining, at least 500 metres from the vital road infrastructure.

Meanwhile, officials of the Mining Department said quarrying wasn’t allowed in the night, as alleged by the villagers.