Nalagarh: Illegal Mining Going On at Himachal-Punjab Border; Administration Helpless

Nalagarh, March 16: There is no stopping illegal mining by the mining mafia from Punjab in the Nalagarh area of Himachal Pradesh and even the authorities have failed to take effective action against it. Illegal mining of government land is taking place in broad daylight in the Rampur Basot area of Nalagarh. According to local villagers who alerted the Nalagarh police, one tipper vehicle was seized. But two other vehicles, another tipper and a JCB machine, fled before the police could stop them.

Rajeev Sharma, a local resident, said that the Punjab based owners of crushers operate on government post/mining without any permission. According to the villagers, whenever they attempt to stand up against these illegal activities or inform the authorities about them, they are threatened with violence, including death. This, in turn, has created an atmosphere of fear in the area, with locals worried for their safety.

The mining mafia is reported to illegally extract minerals and cause huge harm to the environment with its mining work on the government land of Himachal Pradesh. The minerals are then transported to Punjab for sale. These illegal activities get carried out during the day, due to which neither the laws nor the authorities are able to control the situation.

With the mining mafia retreating to the Punjab state across the border whenever administrative or police teams try to intervene. This border dynamic has rendered the local administration effectively powerless, unable to implement laws or conduct successful raids.

Local villagers have expressed increasing frustration at the administration’s inability to resolve the issue. Now they are demanding that immediate measures be taken to crack down on this lawless mining operation. Locating the absconding vehicles such as the tipper and JCB fleeing away from the area, and taking appropriate action in accordance with the law against the mining mafia responsible for these activities has also been put forth by the residents.

The police only seized one tipper but the mining mafia is still not held accountable. The villagers remain doubtful; many who spoke to this publication said that as long as there is no strict action, illegal mining will keep booming and will destroy the environment as well as their community.

The administration’s lack of action on the issue has sparked widespread concern, with the public now demanding urgent intervention to end the illegal mining that is rapidly destroying the region’s natural wealth.