NAINITAL | Sept 08, 2017: To prevent illegal mining and unchecked smuggling of river-bed material from the Gaula river in the Kumaon region, 13 cameras that were placed at strategic locations near the river will go live for the first time on October 1 when the mining season starts. Around 1 lakh cubic meter of illegally mined material was seized and fines amounting to around Rs 15 crore were imposed on violators in the last mining season.

Rajpal Legha, deputy director, mining department said, “Live monitoring of the area will make it easier to nab culprits involved in suspicious activities in the area. People violating the norms will be fined under Sections of Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act 1957. We will also take other measures such as extensive patrolling in co-ordination with forest department and district administrations of the respective districts from where the river and its sister rivulets flow.”

Gaula river, which is the lifeline of mining activities in Kumaon division, provides around 54 lakh cubic meter river-bed material every year. The river originates at Padampuri in Nainital district and flows through Haldwani forest division and Terai East forest Division (TEFD). The total length of the river is around 60 to 70 km of which a 29-km stretch from Kathgodam to Lalkuan is used for sand and boulder extraction.

Mining in the river bed includes picking up of river bed material (RBM) without digging or quarrying beyond permissible limits.

According to the guidelines, mining should not be done outside the demarcated area and quarrying of minerals should not be done below a depth of 1.5m on the riverbed. Mining is also not allowed in a 1-km radius from any bridge on the river. No vehicles are allowed to carry over 14 tonnes of material to curb malpractices of overloading.

The government order said that six wheelers will be fined Rs 35,000 along with the royalty of the illegally transported river bed material whereas a tractor trolley will be fined Rs 50-75,000 along with the royalty.

Registered trucks will carry a sticker of a specific number and carriages will be provided with colored number plates only after they submit last year’s number plate. Complaints of duplication of number plates used for transportation vehicles had been received last year told the mining department officials.

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