Two killed as tipper falls into pit dug up by mining mafia in Ropar

Arun Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ropar, December 25

Illegal mining, which has been playing havoc with the underground water level in the area, today claimed the life of two youths when their tipper fell into a 50-ft-deep pit in the Swan river near Bhalan village here. The pit was dug as a result of illegal mining operations.

The deceased have been identified as Satnam Singh (21) of nearby Bhalri village and Pinku Sharma, a labourer. They died on the spot. The police said Satnam, a tipper driver, was working at a stone crusher. He was going to get raw material early morning when his vehicle while crossing the riverbed fell into the pit that was filled with water.

Local residents claim dozens of sand excavating machines remain operational at the site throughout the night, lifting sand and gravel on hundreds of tippers daily.

This is not the first time that the illegal operations have claimed lives in the area. A resident of Bhalan village, identified as Kewal Krishan, had drowned on October 6, when he had gone to the river with his cattle. Kewal Krishan used to take cattle to the river everyday and he had no idea that the mining mafia had created a big crater after lifting sand from the spot and he fell into the water-filled pit.

Earlier on April 18, two youths from Haryana had drowned in the same river. The deceased, Shiva of Kaithal and Shokeen of Panipat, who used to sell blankets in surrounding villages, had entered the river to take a bath in the afternoon and fell into a pit left after deep digging by the mining mafia.

On June 9, 2014, a tipper driver, identified as Surjit Singh, drowned under similar circumstances when his vehicle fell into the Swan. Before that in 2013, two brothers of Dulgran village had died of drowning at a mining site at Bela Shiv Singh.

Mining operations are banned in the district. Still, there is no bar provided one is ready to pay “goonda” tax (protection money) to people who have set up nakas on all roads allegedly under political patronage.

While illegal mining was never tackled with full might in the district, it reached alarming levels since August when the “goonda” tax mafia conveyed to all stone crusher owners as well as others involved in illegal mining that they would not be harassed by any enforcement agency till they were ready to shell out Rs 3 per cubic feet of material lifted from the district.

Local SHO Pawan Kumar said the police had started inquest proceedings under Section 174 of CrPC on the statement of Amarjit Singh, an uncle of Satnam Singh.

Earlier incidents

• October 6, 2019: Kewal Krishan of Bhalan village in Ropar district drowned in a water-filled ditch when he went to the river with his cattle
• April 18: Two blanket sellers from Haryana, Shiva and Shokeen, fell into a pit left open after deep digging by mining mafia. The victims had gone there to take a bath
• June 9, 2014: A tipper driver, identified as Surjit Singh, drowned after his vehicle fell into the Swan