Punjab: Illegal mining is destroying land and resources
Punjab: The mining mafia has targeted Mukerian and Dasuya tehsils of Hoshiarpur district in such a way that this area is now considered their stronghold. People in these areas are protesting against illegal mining, but it seems that no one is paying heed to their concerns. The situation is so dire that people from different villages have been staging a dharna against crushers at two locations for more than two months now. Despite filing repeated complaints to almost all the concerned departments as well as the district administration in the last four months, they have not received any positive response. They are only given assurances of an investigation into the matter. In Patti Navin Ghar (Bela Sariyana), the locals have been protesting by staging a 24-hour dharna since February 1 against the stone crusher being set up in their village. They allege that this crusher belongs to the relatives of an influential politician. Similarly, in Patti Naam Nagar (Dhaade Katwal), the locals have been staging a dharna since December 10 against the installation of a stone crusher, but their voices are going unheard. Illegal mining has been a major issue in the area for the past 18 years. The crusher industry started in Hajipur in 2007, with the main activity being breaking down rocks to produce sand and gravel.
Large-scale mining has taken place in villages like Sandhwal, Sibo Chak, Marula, Godhan, Naushera, Simbli, Sariana, Khunda, Fatehpur Khulian, Bhawnal, Jeevan Wal, Kaleran, Dewal, Dhamian, Lubana Kulian, Bhalowal, Khijarpur, Rally and Nikku Chak in Hajipur block. Locals claim that the crusher mafia has exploited this land and today 50 to 100 feet deep pits can be seen in about 1,000 acres in Hajipur block alone. The situation is the same in villages like Handwal, Tote, Ulaha, Patti Naveen Ghar, Bela Sariyana, Ajmera, Dhadhe Katwal, Chak Mirpur, Chak Mirpur Kothi, Sathwa, Roli, Changarwan, Adampur Motian and Shri Pandiyan. This area is situated on the banks of the Beas river, while Himachal Pradesh is on the other side. The Shah Canal Barrage on the eastern side has 52 gates, which release 11,500 cubic metres of water daily for the Mukerian Hydel. Dharminder Singh, secretary of the Khana Roko Jamin Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, alleged that a stone crusher has been installed very close to these 52 gates. He said that the stone crusher has been declared sealed several times in government documents, but it still runs surreptitiously at odd hours.
“It was because of this mining that water entered the residential area during the 2023 floods,” he alleged. Illegal mining in the Shivalik Hills of Talwara has eroded parts of the hills by up to 150 feet. Crushers bore deep for water to wash away the sand and gravel, wasting thousands of litres of precious groundwater. Meanwhile, residents of Sukhchainpur, Bering, Bringli, Dharampur, Plahar, Bhol Bhadmania, Haleran, Amroh and other nearby villages are already struggling to access drinking water, especially in the summer months. The Punjab Pollution Control Board has given permission to set up another stone crusher in Bhol Bhadmania, owned by someone with political connections. At the foot of these hills is the Swan River, which flows along the Himachal-Punjab border. Several stone crushers have been set up along the river. “There is no government-approved quarry for these crushers, yet they have been operating for the past decade. Hundreds of acres of government land, including cremation grounds, have been mined in violation of the law. The Khanayan Roko Jamin Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has been fighting relentlessly against this, and its leaders have been constantly receiving threats of violence and even death,” said Deepak Talwara, an advisor to the committee and former sarpanch of Haler village.
