Rampant illegal mining in Chamba’s rivulets exposes Himachal govt’s claims of crackdown on mafia
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The Newz Radar
CHAMBA: Contrary to the Himachal Pradesh government’s claims of launching a crackdown on illegal mining, the ground reality in Chamba district presents a different picture. The mining mafia has been operating with impunity in various rivulets, raising a question mark over the effectiveness of the government’s efforts.
A glaring example of the illegal activity is visible at Udaipur, merely 10 km from the Chamba district headquarters, along the Pathankot-Chamba-Bharmour National Highway. Dozens of tractors are engaged in unauthorised mining activities at this site regularly. Another hotspot is the Koti bridge on the Baira-Sule river along the Koti-Salooni road. Despite the daily passage of officials from various departments along these routes, illegal mining continues, raising significant questions about the administration’s vigilance.
Local residents, witnessing the illegal mining at these locations, raise questions over the government’s commitment to curbing such activities. The administration’s apparent inaction despite having multiple departments empowered to issue challans, including the Forest Department, Public Works Department and Police Department, adds fuel to these concerns.
The responsibility to oversee this issue falls upon the Mining Department, among others, and notably, the position of District Mining Officer in Chamba has remained vacant since September. Additionally, approximately half a dozen sanctioned posts for mining guards remain unfilled. Chandra Bhushan, the general manager of the Industries Department, currently holds the responsibility of the mining department. Despite the challenging circumstances, Bhushan claims to have issued around 40 mining challans in the last four months.
As the mining mafia continues to operate brazenly, local residents and environmentalists have called for urgent and effective measures to address this escalating concern.
