Despite strict rules and regulations, and the stringent actions being taken by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Haryana continues to witness a spurt in incidents of illegal mining. These incidents are a matter of serious concern as they cause harm to natural resources and result in the loss of government revenue.
In light of the casual approach of the state government, the NGT has imposed a cost of Rs. 10,000 on the state of Haryana for failing to submit a report on the steps taken to stop illegal mining in Gurgaon. In addition, due to continuous incidents of illegal mining being reported, the NGT has issued orders to ensure the implementation of guidelines.
To crack down on illegal mining, the Haryana government had set up the Haryana State Enforcement Bureau (HSEnB).
Statistics provided by the HSEnB state that as many as 301 FIRs have been registered by the Bureau regarding illegal mining, indicating that illegal mining activities are widespread. It is evident from the data that an average of 50 FIRs a month have been lodged against the defaulters involved in illegal mining, requiring the state government to take more strict action and implement preventive measures.
A maximum of 88 FIRs in Haryana has been filed in the Mahendragarh district of Southern Haryana, followed by Ambala, the home district of Home Minister Anil Vij, which occupies the second position with 40 FIRs. Additionally, 39 FIRs in Nuh, 29 in Karnal, 25 in Faridabad, 17 in Gurugram, 16 in Palwal, 9 in Rewari, 6 in Bhiwani, 5 in Yamunanagar, 4 in Sirsa, and 3 in Kurukshetra have been filed. It is noteworthy that, apart from Ambala, Faridabad, Yamunanagar, Nuh, Karnal districts adjoining the UP border, Mahendragarh, Nuh, Rewari, Bhiwani, and Gurugram of Southern Haryana are witnessing the maximum cases of illegal mining.
Continuing with this, it is worth mentioning that, due to an increase in illegal mining in border areas, the NGT had taken serious notice of illegal mining in the Yamuna river stream in Yamunanagar district of Haryana and Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh (UP), the border-sharing districts. The NGT constituted two joint committees to conduct an investigation last year.
In response to the actions taken against the defaulters, Arshinder Singh Chawla, ADGP, HSEnB, mentioned that, in an effort to crack down on illegal mining, vehicles are being checked regularly, and continuous raids are being conducted in the concerned districts. He added, “The bureau has been gathering intelligence on illegal mining activities throughout the state.”
Furthermore, to tighten the noose around those involved in illegal mining, during a period of less than 6 months from July 7, 2023, to December 31, 2023, the HSEnB checked or raided 3458 mining sites. Of these, the maximum checking was done at 544 sites in Karnal district, the home seat of Chief Minister Manohar Lal, followed by 427 mining sites in the adjoining Panipat district, 344 in Hisar, 324 in Ambala, 224 in Jind, 158 in Charkhi Dadri, 149 in Nuh, 146 in Mahendragarh, 141 in Sonipat, 131 in Gurugram, and 129 in Bhiwani.
Besides, vehicles were checked and confiscated on a large scale, including dumper trucks, heavy earth-moving machines, excavators, and tractor trolleys/overloaded vehicles that were being used in illegal mining activities.
In this series, as many as 566 vehicles have been seized, out of which 148 vehicles have been seized in Home Minister Anil Vij’s home district Ambala alone. Apart from this, 110 vehicles in Yamunanagar and Karnal, 55 each, 45 in Panchkula, 42 in Mahendragarh, 36 in Panipat, 26 in Faridabad, 25 in Palwal, 23 in Jind, and 21 in Hisar have been seized.
