CHANDIGARH: The Army has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that mining activities will affect the structural integrity and strength of bunkers in their proximity in Punjab’s border districts. The Army has said in case of any attack, mining will restrict troop movement, leading to delays in reinforcement and counterattack tasks. The Army response came following the court’s direction to it for a report on the damage to spurs and bunkers due to mining activities.
Captain Ashima Das, officer-in-charge (legal cell) of Western Command at Chandimandir gave the Army’s response on Thursday in an affidavit filed before the bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli. It was submitted in the affidavit that mining would cause soil erosion, thereby causing bunkers to cave in, directly affecting the defence preparedness.
The mining of a riverbed is likely to change the course of the river and alter the depth of the river at various places, disrupting the defence layouts, said the affidavit. “The mining can not only restrict troop movement but will also affect the natural drainage of water, leading to unpredictable flooding,’’ said the affidavit.
The affidavit followed the High Court order on Aug 30 in which the bench directed the respondent Union of India to obtain a report from the Army authorities on the damage caused and the threat the national security.
On August 29, the Army had asserted that illegal mining had been a facilitation factor for the nexus between drug smugglers, terrorists and anti-national elements nurtured by Pakistan’s ISI. In another affidavit filed by the Army in a related matter, the Army had earlier stated that ditches and gorges formed following illegal mining facilitated cross-border infiltration.
Unplanned and uncontrolled mining may also cause changes in the natural water drainage and even change the river’s course, resulting in the army posts being susceptible to flooding.
50 booked as mining mafia attacks cops
Chandigarh: The mining mafia is back in Haryana’s Nuh, near the national capital. The state police have booked at least 50 people a day after a government team conducting a raid on an illegal mine was pelted with stones in a Nuh village.
The state police, which was a part of the raiding officials, has identified five attackers and set up three check posts at the state border with Rajasthan. These posts are also manned by personnel drawn from the mining department and Regional Transport Authority (RTA).
Around two months ago, a dumper truck carrying stones from an illegal mine had allegedly knocked down a deputy superintendent of police in another Nuh village. ENS