Mining dept finds mounds of gravel missing in Kharar
MOHALI:ILLEGAL mining continues with impunity in Kharar’s Majri Block. The mining department on Thursday conducted a raid at Gocher village and found that 5,000 cubic feet gravel had been extracted from private lands.
A stone crusher was seized during the raid.
On July 6, Majri Police had booked former director general of police (DGP) Paramdeep Singh Gill along with other 44 farmers of Saini Majra for allowing illegal mining on their land. They were booked under Section 21 of the Mine and Minerals (Regulations and Development) Act. The mining department had imposed a fine of ₹11 crore.
District mining officer Gurpreet Pal Singh Sandhu said that they had received a complaint about illegal mining being carried out at Gocher village and when he visited that area, he found that mining was also being carried out in adjoining areas. “We have prepared a report which will be sent to the tehsildar to find details of the miners, following which notices will be sent to them,” he said.
He added that fines will be imposed i.e. ₹60 per tonne for sand and gravel and ₹10 per tonne for ordinary earth.
Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said that he has directed the officials to take strict action against illegal miners. Action will be taken against those landowners whose land is being illegally mined, he said.
In July last year, the mining department had imposed a penalty of ₹52 crore on 193 land owners in three villages of Mohali— Mianpur Changar, Kubaheri and Abhipur— for allowing illegal mining on their land.
INCREASING CASES
Mohali has witnessed a sharp rise in illegal mining cases in the past four years. The district police had registered 24 cases of illegal mining in 2016, 67 in 2017 and 79 in 2018, 25 cases in 2019, and around 2 cases this year.
The police department and administration claim that no illegal mining is being carried, but the illegal plundering of natural resources and increasing number of cases along the rivulets is proving to be a major challenge.