The Punjab and Haryana High Court has blanket banned mining in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and nearby border areas. The court reasoned that any kind of mining in these places is a threat to national security. The Pb and Hry High Court says that the Punjab government has to tell that Punjab is also a part of the country and illegal mining is a threat to the country.
Regarding the Punjab government’s reply, the High Court says that there is not a single word in it that can tell what is being done to stop illegal mining. The High Court has asked the Punjab government to answer at the next hearing about what it is doing to stop mining.
The High Court says that the BSF has said in its reply that mining in the border area is a threat to the security of the country. The BSF has argued that any mining in the border area poses a threat to the country as infiltration through such areas can be done quickly and the supply of weapons remains a threat. BSF has also said that we cannot stop illegal mining and Punjab government should take concrete steps.
The High Court has told the lawyer of the Punjab government that due to illegal mining in the River Ravi, there has been a flood in the Ravi river on the Pakistan side. Illegal mining is also causing damage in Pakistan. The railway bridge in Pathankot collapsed due to illegal mining which used to connect Himachal and Punjab and was a must for the police army.
The High Court has reprimanded the Punjab government and said what the officials of the Punjab government are doing regarding illegal mining. The court has said that at the next hearing, the Punjab government should tell what concrete steps it is taking to stop illegal mining.