The floods have caused the most devastation in Gurdaspur and Pathankot. The agricultural sector in Gurdaspur has been greatly affected due to the floods, while there has been a lot of loss of life and property in Pathankot. So far, strict action has been taken by the government against illegal mining in these districts.
Amidst the political turmoil over mining in Punjab, the state government has presented an action report of the last two and a half years in the border area. 90 FIRs were registered while raiding illegal mining in the border area. 430 vehicles were seized and a fine of Rs 5.88 crore was also imposed.
The registration of 9 crusher units has also been canceled due to non-compliance of the Crusher Policy 2023. After visiting the flood-affected areas in the state, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had cited illegal mining as the reason for the floods in the state. Now the Punjab government has submitted its report to the National Green Tribunal regarding the action taken in the border area, in which this has been revealed.
The floods have caused the most devastation in Gurdaspur and Pathankot. The agricultural sector in Gurdaspur has been greatly affected due to the floods, while there has been a lot of loss of life and property in Pathankot. So far, strict action has been taken by the government regarding illegal mining in these districts. Due to the floods, 329 villages have been affected in Gurdaspur and 2 people have lost their lives. 40,169 hectares of agricultural land has been submerged in water. Similarly, 88 villages in Pathankot are in the grip of floods and six people have died. Apart from this, 15,503 people have been affected due to floods.
The department also issued 405 challans
The state government has given information about the action taken from January 1, 2023 till now in its report. During this period, the department has also issued 405 challans and seized tippers, JCBs and other machines involved in mining. According to the department, any case of illegal mining of minerals is being dealt with immediately under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. In Pathankot, the highest number of 158 FIRs have been registered in Police Station Division No. 2. Similarly, 111 FIRs were registered in Sujanpur station. Talking about Gurdaspur, the highest number of 158 FIRs have been registered in Dera Baba Nanak and 92 FIRs in Sri Hargobindpur.
What did Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan say
After visiting the flood-affected areas of Punjab, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had said that the dams built on the rivers of the state have become weak due to illegal mining. Due to this, flood water has reached the villages. It is necessary to strengthen these dams. The Punjab government had objected to this and cited excessive rain in Himachal Pradesh as the reason for the floods.
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