Nainital | Sept 06, 2015: Cracking down on illegally mining, a team of district administration and mining department on Sunday raided a spot in Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district and seized 4,500 cubic metres of illegally mined material, besides JCB and other machinery being used for the act.

Nainital: Cracking down on illegally mining, a team of district administration and mining department on Sunday raided a spot in Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district and seized 4,500 cubic metres of illegally mined material, besides JCB and other machinery being used for the act.

The operation was conducted at Ukrali near Kailash river after receiving repeated complaints of illegal mining and storage of river bed material in more than permissible quantities.

Rajpal Legha, deputy director, mining department said, "The recommendation for fine, along with evidence, has been sent to the district magistrate, who will take a final decision on the fine amount."

When the team of 10 members from the mining department and district administration reached the spot, people indulging in illegal mining started fleeing.

"It looked like they were prepared to flee if the spot was raided. Total river bed material amounted to 4,500 cubic metres which was immediately seized along with the JCB machine," said ADM Chandra Singh Imlal.

Apart from the loss of revenue, the illegal practice poses threat to the ecosystem of the state as well as most parts of the Indo-Gangetic plain, say environmental activists. The unchecked quarrying of the Gaula catchment has hit the ecosystem of the area, which may eventually lead to massive landslides and soil erosion, green experts added.

The Uttarakhand government formed a committee in July last year to curb illegal mining in the hill state. Around 20-25 companies are operating in the area, most of which supply building material obtained allegedly via illegal mining to neighbouring states such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Supplies also stretch up to many regions of Haryana, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)