Mining in Punjab river beds: HC passes strictures

CHANDIGARH: In order “to save environment and ecology” and “to regulate sand mining,” the Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday prohibited deployment of heavy machinery like JCBs for extraction of sand and gravel from river beds in Punjab. The court also asked the Punjab government to use UAVs/drones to check illegal mining in the state.
Considering the threat to bridges, national highways and state highways due to excessive extraction of minerals, the high court also ordered a ban on mining activities in 1-km stretch from major bridges and half-a-kilometer from small bridges upstream and downstream of rivers. “No mining activities shall take place one kilometer from the national highways and half kilometer from state highways in Punjab. The rivers have an inherent right to flow without hindrance,” the division bench, comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice H S Sidhu, ordered.

The high court also made it clear that mining depth should be restricted up to three metres in the river beds.
The bench also issued directions to the DCs and SSPs of all the districts to constitute special flying squads to check illegal mining activities in the state within two weeks. “The flying squads should comprise of officers / officials from mining department, revenue as well as police department. The state machinery shall also use UAVs/drones to check the illegal mining and also undertake to carry out river audit, including replenishment study within six months.” The state has also been directed to evolve a method for procedure to monitor sale and purchase of sand.
SSPs to file status report
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Bakshish Singh of Jalandhar highlighting illegal mining activities in the state. The petitioner submitted before the HC that largescale illegal mining activities are being carried out in villages as well as on the bed of the Sutlej. He alleged that one of the allottees of block No 2 to excavate the bed of Sutlej river passing through districts of Nawanshahr, Ludhiana and Jalandhar, is indulging in illegal mining. He also informed the high court that heavy mining had even changed the course of river at few places, resulting in flooding.
The counsel for the petitioner contended that heavy machinery has been deployed to excavate sand from the river bed and the authorities have not taken any action on representations to check illegal mining in Block-2 cluster.
Hearing the arguments, the bench also directed the DCs and SSPs of Nawanshahr, Ludhiana and Jalandhar to file their status report by September 30 on the contentions raised by the petitioner. The DCs and SSPs of these districts have also been directed to ensure that no illegal mining takes place in their jurisdiction.