In what is being described as one of the biggest crackdowns on illegal mining in recent years, the Ropar district administration seized seven pokelain machines from the Swan and Sutlej river belt during a series of late-night raids conducted in Nangal sub-division.
The action was carried out under the directions of DC Ropar Aaditya Dachalwal and SSP Ropar, Maninder Singh. Teams comprising civil and police officials conducted coordinated operations in the Sainsowal, Sawara and Harsa Bela village areas, which are notorious for allegations of illegal mining.
The operation was led by SDM Nangal Sachin Pathak along with CIA Inspector Mandeep Singh and a team of police personnel. According to officials, the raiding team entered the riverbed areas during the night and strategically split into two groups to prevent the operators from escaping with heavy machinery.
Giving details of the operation, SDM Sachin Pathak said the teams approached the mining sites from opposite directions and pursued the machines operating in the riverbeds. “The team split into two parts and chased machines in the riverbed from both sides and was able to recover six pokelain machines. This is the biggest recovery of pokelain machines in a single operation in the district,” he said.
In a parallel operation, another team led by Executive Engineer (Mining) Bhavuk Sharma raided a site in the Swan riverbed and seized one additional pokelain machine. With this, the total number of machines seized during the crackdown reached seven.
Officials said the action was initiated following a series of complaints regarding illegal mining activities in the district over the past few days. The administration described the operation as part of the Punjab Government’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal mining.
The large number of machines seized in a single night also highlights the scale at which illegal mining is allegedly taking place in the Swan and Sutlej riverbeds. Local farmers and residents living along these river stretches have repeatedly raised concerns over unchecked excavation, claiming that excessive mining has damaged agricultural land, altered river courses and increased the risk of erosion.
Farmers organisations and village residents have on several occasions demanded stricter enforcement and regular monitoring of mining activities, alleging that illegal extraction often continues despite restrictions.
Pathak said such operations would continue in the coming days and warned that strict action would be taken against anyone found violating mining regulations. He expressed hope that the latest crackdown would serve as a strong deterrent to those engaged in illegal mining activities.
DC Aaditya Dachalwal appealed to the public to actively report instances of illegal mining. He said public cooperation was essential in curbing the menace and reiterated that the district administration was committed to enforcing the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in letter and spirit.
Officials maintained that the administration would continue surveillance and enforcement drives to ensure protection of natural resources and prevent further environmental damage in the district.
