Protest against illegal mining in Neugal

Villagers of the Batthan panchayat in Thural tehsil of Palampur yesterday held a protest against illegal mining in the Neugal river at Chalaha village. The police reached the spot and impounded a tractor-trailer, which was being used to extract mining material from the river.

Seema Devi and Sat Pal, pardhan and vice-pardhan of Batthan panchayat, alleged that despite a ban on illegal mining in the Neugal enforced by the National Green Tribunal, large-scale mining was going on under the “patronage” of the Mining and Forest departments. They said that despite a ban on the use of JCB machines for mining in the state, the mafia had been openly using these for the past one year.