3 months on, Himachal mulls lifting ban on mining in Beas river
Decision likely to be taken during the cabinet meeting scheduled for November 18; government had banned mining activities in August after unprecedented floods
Nearly three months after imposing a complete ban on mining activities in the Beas river, the Himachal government, led by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, is contemplating lifting ban.
The ban was enforced in August in the aftermath of severe flooding that wreaked havoc in Kullu and Mandi districts during the unprecedented monsoon rains in the state that triggered landslides.
The state government had halted operations of all stone crushers along perennial and non-perennial rivulets in the Beas river basin and its tributaries. This decision was prompted by the alarming transformation of the ecosystem during the monsoon season, causing widespread damage downstream in Kullu, Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur districts, as well as the Chakki rivulet in Kangra.
The situation in the border areas of Kangra district is graver as jurisdiction conflicts are common due to non-demarcated boundaries. There have been instances of the “mining mafia” attacking government officers on inspection to check illegal activities.
Regardless of the change at the helm, police crackdown and heavy penalties, illegal sand mining continues unabated in the state. The riverbeds of Sutlej, Yamuna, Beas, Ravi, Chakki and Swan are hotbeds of illegal mining. From dusk to dawn, dozens of tippers and tractor-trolleys laden with sand and gravel head out while earth-movers plunder the riverbed although mechanised mining is banned.
To assess the impact of mining activities on the ecosystem, a high-level committee was formed by the government. The closure of mining activities, however, had unintended consequences, particularly affecting construction projects in flood-affected areas of the region.
According to the data presented in the Vidhan Sabha during the recent budget session, the mining department executed 207 mining leases over the last three years and earned a revenue of more than ₹23.19 crore.
The recently submitted report by the high-level committee is under consideration by the CM and state industries minister Harshwardhan Chauhan. A decision on the potential reopening of closed stone crushers is expected to be taken during the state cabinet meeting scheduled for November 18. The meeting will be presided over by the chief minister, who recently returned to the state after undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
Chauhan acknowledged the significant economic losses incurred due to the closure of crushers in the Beas basin, estimating a daily loss of up to ₹40 lakh for the government and crusher owners. He emphasised the adverse effects on construction, citing the rising cost of crusher materials and disruptions in road metalling and tarring.