Haryana charges 6 officials over illegal Aravalli mining in Nuh

The crackdown follows a complaint alleging excess extraction in Rawa village, located in Ferozepur Jhirka tehsil.

The Haryana government has formally acknowledged large-scale illegal mining in Rawa village of Nuh district, dating back to 2011. Acting on a geospatial probe, the state has charged six senior officials from the Department of Mines and Geology under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules for their alleged role in the mining.

An area where illegal mining used to take place at Panchgaon village in Nuh. (HT Archive)

The officials named in the government communique include Assistant Mining Officer R.S. Thakran and Mining Officers Bhupender Singh, BD Yadav, Rajender Prasad, Anil Kumar, and Anil Atwal.

The probe, ordered by Commissioner and Secretary, Mines and Geology, T.L. Satya Prakash, found that around 25 acres of Aravalli hill land in Haryana’s revenue territory had been illegally mined by leaseholders from Rajasthan. The excavation spanned from November 2011 to January 2025, resulting in the loss of over 80 lakh tonnes of Aravalli stone.

“While taking strict cognisance of the illegal mining activities, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed that six officers of the Mining Department be charge-sheeted. He has also ordered action against staff from the Panchayat and Forest Departments found complicit in the case,” the state government said in a statement.

Despite multiple attempts, Satya Prakash and director general of Mining, Pandurang did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.

Environmental activists have long flagged unchecked mining in fragile Aravalli zones like Nuh, warning of severe ecological consequences. A senior official, requesting anonymity, said the Rawa case could be “just the tip of the iceberg”, with more action expected in the coming weeks.