Only 15 sand and gravel mines operational in Punjab

15 Feb, 2020

There is an annual demand of around 4 crore metric tonnes of sand and gravel in the state, says Minister of Mines Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria.

Recent heavy rain in the region has resulted in deposition of heavy gravel material in Sutlej river flowing through Harsa Bela village in Ropar. A part of the river bank in this village is a gravel and sand mine.During this time when the mine would have been abuzz, it is lying silent. It was three months ago when the district administration sealed the mine holding the contractor responsible for digging beyond the stipulated depth. Later, in January, National Green Tribunal also ordered an action against the contractor.Harsa Bela is not the only mine in Ropar which is non-functional. Of the 13 mines, known for good-quality gravel, auctioned in Ropar, 11 were operational till six months ago. But, currently not a single mine is functioning officially, said an official of the mining department praying anonymity.