Nuh police destroy illegal mining roads in Aravalli near Hathan

Drone surveys flagged unpaved routes; trenches dug with earthmovers after complaints and landslide alert, second such drive in two months.

Nuh police on Monday destroyed at least half a dozen access roads in the Aravalli range near Hathan village that were allegedly constructed for illegal mining activities, officials said on Tuesday.

Joint team used earthmovers to block access routes; action followed complaints and drone surveillance uncovering mining network. (HT)

A joint team of police, mining and forest department personnel deployed at least five earthmovers to dig trenches and render the roads unusable for tractors and other vehicles used to ferry illegally mined rocks.

Krishan Kumar, public relations officer of Nuh police, said the action followed multiple complaints of rampant illegal mining in the area over the past month. “Multiple complaints about rampant illegal mining activities were received from the area in the last one month, after which drone surveillance was carried out in which the illegally constructed unpaved roads on the protected mountain range were discovered,” he said.

He added that a recent landslide in the area, flagged by villagers, also prompted intensified surveillance. “There had been an incident of landslide too in the area in the recent past due to illegal mining about which an alert was received from villagers. Afterwards, surveillance was intensified, leading to the uncovering of the roads and the crackdown,” Kumar said.

Officials said this was the second such major drive in two months in which illegal pathways used for mining were destroyed using heavy earthmovers and a large contingent of officials.

Police said drone surveillance is being carried out continuously over the Aravalli range in Nuh to curb illegal mining. According to officials, these aerial surveys have repeatedly detected such roads and makeshift infrastructure supporting mining, which are then dismantled.

On April 12, a joint team seized a tractor and trolley allegedly involved in illegal mining in Wajidpur village under Pinangwan police station during a random inspection, though the driver fled the spot, officials said.

Earlier, on March 16, at least six similar roads identified through drone surveillance in Gujar Nangla and Sheikhpur villages were also destroyed using earthmovers and mining department teams.