HC flags unchecked illegal mining along Beas in Kangra

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh high court has expressed concern over continued illegal mining along the Beas in Kangra district, saying the activity appeared to be continuing despite repeated administrative intervention.A division bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi said the affidavit filed by the Kangra superintendent of police failed to inspire confidence and did not adequately address the issue.The court noted that it had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter in Nov 2024, but illegal mining in the Jaisinghpur area still appeared to be continuing unabated.It also referred to an adverse report by the legal services authority, which flagged rampant mining and raised concerns over environmental damage and administrative inaction.The bench observed that while authorities had cited action against vehicles transporting illegally mined material under Rule 79, the response did not address the larger issue of continued extraction.Earlier submissions by the SDM, Jaisinghpur, had acknowledged that thousands of metric tonnes of minerals had been seized and auctioned. The court, however, noted the absence of FIRs, and said Rules 82 and 83 empowered authorities to seize equipment and vehicles and initiate criminal proceedings.The court has now directed the state government to file a comprehensive affidavit detailing concrete steps taken to curb illegal mining and explain why stronger legal measures, including registration of FIRs and confiscation of vehicles, were not being implemented.