Illegal mining eating into land & resources
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 have been protesting against illegal mining, but it seems that no one is paying attention to their concerns. The situation is so dire that people from various villages have been staging protests at two locations against crushers for over two months. Despite filing repeated complaints with almost all departments concerned as well as the district administration over the past four months, they have received no positive response. They are given only assurances of inquiries into the matter.
In Patti Naven Ghar (Bella Sariana), the locals have been protesting by staging a round-the-clock dharna since February 1 against a stone crusher being installed in their village. They allege that it belongs to the relatives of an influential politician. Similarly, in Patti Naam Nagar (Dhade Katwal), residents have been staging a dharna since December 10 against the installation of a stone crusher, but their voices continue to go unheard.
Illegal mining has been a major issue in the area for nearly 18 years . The crusher industry started in Hajipur in 2007, where the main activity involved breaking stones to produce sand and gravel. In villages like Sandhwal, Sibo Chak, Marula, Godhan, Naushehra, Simbli, Sariana, Khunda, Fatehpur Khulian, Bhavnal, Jeevan Wal, Kaleran, Deval, Dhamian, Lubana Kulian, Bhalowal, Khijrpur, Rally and Nikku Chak in the Hajipur block, large-scale mining has taken place. The locals claim that the crusher mafia has exploited this land, and today, 50 to 100-ft-deep pits can be seen across about 1,000 acres in the Hajipur block alone.
The situation is similar in villages like Handwal, Tote, Ulaha, Patti Naven Ghar, Bella Sariana, Ajmera, Dhadhe Katwal, Chak Mirpur, Chak Mirpur Kothi, Sathwa, Roli, Changarwan, Adampur Mottian, and Shri Pandaian. The area is located on the banks of the Beas, with Himachal Pradesh on the opposite bank. On the east side, there are 52 gates of Shah Canal Barrage from which 11,500 cubic metres of water passes daily for the Mukerian Hydel.
Dharminder Singh, secretary of ‘Khanan Roko Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Committee’, alleged that a stone crusher has been installed too close to these 52 gates. The stone crusher has been declared sealed many a times in the government documents, but it still runs secretly in odd hours, he added. “It was due to this mining that the water entered in the residential area during the 2023 floods,” he alleged.
In the Shivalik hills of Talwara, illegal mining has eroded parts of the hills by up to 150 ft. The crushers drill deep bores for water to wash 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 already struggle to access drinking water, particularly during the summer months. The Punjab Pollution Control Board has authorised the installation of another stone crusher in Bhol Bhadmania, owned by someone with political links.
At the foot of these hills lies the Swan river, which flows along the Himachal-Punjab border. Several stone crushers have been installed on the banks of the river. “There is no government-approved quarry for these crushers, yet they have been operating for the past decade. In violation of law, hundreds of acres of government land, including crematorium land, have been mined. The Khanan Roko Zameen Bachao Sangharsh Committee has been fighting tirelessly against this, and its leaders are facing constant threats of violence and even death, said Deepak Talwara, adviser of the committee and former Sarpanch of Haler village.
Punjab