CBI Begins Probe Into Illegal Mining in Hoshiarpur After High Court Rapਹੁਸ਼ਿਆਰਪੁਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਨਾਜਾਇਜ਼ ਮਾਈਨਿੰਗ ਦੀ ਸੀਬੀਆਈ ਜਾਂਚ ਸ਼ੁਰੂ, ਹਾਈ ਕੋਰਟ ਨੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਝਾੜ ਪਾਈ

The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a probe into alleged large-scale illegal mining in Hoshiarpur district, acting on directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which observed that the authorities responsible had "utterly failed to carry out their responsibilities".

A division bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor passed the directions on a petition filed by Rahul Manchanda seeking an independent investigation into the alleged mining, which the petitioner says has been carried out with the connivance of officials of the department of mines and geology and the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

What the court ordered

The bench directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry and to ensure that a detailed drone survey is carried out and 3D satellite imagery obtained from Google Earth, ISRO or another credible source, so that periodic changes in the area can be clearly ascertained. The court allowed the agency to take assistance from the district administration, the mines and geology department and expert bodies, and clarified that all expenses will be borne by the Punjab government. The CBI has been asked to submit its report in a sealed cover on the next date of hearing, December 7.

The directions followed a report submitted by the chief judicial magistrate-cum-secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, Hoshiarpur, after the court ordered an inspection of the sites. "Having perused the materials placed before us, and after taking into consideration the report of the secretary, DLSA, we are prima facie convinced that the authorities concerned, who were required to ensure the prevention of such large-scale and rampant illegal mining, have utterly failed to carry out their responsibilities," the bench observed.

Allegations of official connivance

The court said the allegations of collusion of state authorities with those responsible for the destruction of the ecology cannot be brushed aside lightly. The petition alleges excavation far beyond permitted depths at several sites in the district, with reports putting digging at 100 to 110 feet in places, and claims that entire hills have been levelled or have vanished. These remain allegations to be tested by the CBI inquiry.

What happens next

The CBI inquiry will map how much land has been excavated and over what period, using the drone survey and satellite imagery the court has ordered. Its sealed-cover report is due before the bench on December 7, after which the court will decide the next steps. Illegal mining has been a recurring political and environmental issue in Punjab's Shivalik foothill districts, where riverbeds and hillocks are mined for sand and gravel.

Why has the CBI been asked to probe mining in Hoshiarpur?

The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed a CBI preliminary inquiry after finding, prima facie, that the authorities meant to prevent large-scale illegal mining in Hoshiarpur had utterly failed in their responsibilities, and that allegations of official collusion could not be brushed aside.

What will the CBI inquiry involve?

The court has ordered a detailed drone survey and 3D satellite imagery from Google Earth, ISRO or another credible source to establish how the area has changed over time. The CBI may take help from the district administration and expert bodies, with expenses borne by the Punjab government.

When will the CBI report back to the court?

The agency must submit its report in a sealed cover on the next date of hearing, December 7, after which the court will decide further action.