E-Paper
Illegal mining raises flood threat along Yamuna in Haryana: Surjewala
Unchecked mining activity in areas such as Jathlana has damaged the riverbed, altered the natural course of the Yamuna and led to erosion of riverbanks, posing a serious flood threat to nearby villages, he posted on X
Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Sunday that rampant illegal mining along the Yamuna river in Haryana has increased the risk of flooding and caused widespread distress to local residents.
Unchecked mining activity in areas such as Jathlana has damaged the riverbed, altered the natural course of the Yamuna and led to erosion of riverbanks, posing a serious flood threat to nearby villages, he posted on X. The illegal operations have also caused losses to the state exchequer, he said.
Residents alleged that illegal mining is being carried out in an unregulated manner, worsening the situation even as people are still recovering from the devastation caused by recent floods, he said.
He alleged that in Belgadh and nearby areas, illegal mining is being carried out even on private agricultural land, he said, adding farmers have narrated cases of severe losses due to erosion and sand deposition.
A farmer from Kanyawala village said he had already lost around 10 acres of land to river erosion during floods, and illegal mining has now accelerated the loss of his remaining farmland, Surjewala said.
Hooda leads protest against changes in MGNREGA
Karnal Former chief minister and leader of opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday led a protest in Rohtak along with Congress workers against the alleged dilution of MGNREGA.
Reacting to the changes made in MGNREGA, he said the BJP government has attacked the rights of dalits, backward classes, the poor, villagers, and panchayats. He said the Congress stands firmly with the MGNREGA workers and is running a campaign across the country to protect their employment.
The former CM said that the MGNREGA scheme, introduced by the Congress government, was meant to further Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj campaign. In Karnal, district presidents Parag Gaba (Urban) and Rajesh Vaid (Rural) staged a symbolic protest at Gandhi Chowk on the issue.
