A district level committee under State disaster relief fund will be formed to estimate and demarcate minerals, sand and grit in the riverbeds. This river bed material has accumulated in riverbeds following incessant rain and landslide, said Dehradun district magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram.
The district officers were directed to lodge an FIR against illegal mining operators after they are caught quarrying minerals and sand from riverbeds area thrice. Adequate number of police personnel will be deployed along with district officials while conducting drive against illegal mining activities, the DM added.
While chairing a meeting with district officers, Sundaram said that Sub-Divisional Magistrate, sub divisional forest officer, executive engineer of Irrigation Department and senior mining officer will be included in the committee and they will be directed to identify and demarcate the villages and areas which might sustain damage following heavy flow of minerals and sand during rain and landslide in the district.
For Bindal and Rispana rivers, he directed the officers to include the SDM and Municipal Corporation of Dehradun officials in the committee.
The senior mining officers have been directed to inspect the rivers regularly and take action against illegal mining operators. Department officials were directed to impose challan on the owners if their vehicle is caught first time quarrying illegal minerals from the riverbeds. The officers need to issue warning along with challan to the owners if their vehicles are caught for the same offence second time. An FIR will be lodged against the owners if their vehicles are caught for the same offence third time.
In the meeting, divisional forest officer, Dehradun informed the DM that around 65 Forest Department employees were deputed for conducting inspections in Shivalik circle. A stringent checking drive will be launched at Saurna and Song rivers under Kalsi forest division, Yamuna river and other areas like Maldevta, Natthuwawala, Balawala, Kalimaati, Raipur and Sahastradhara under Mussoorie forest division and others places by department staff.
Apart from this, patrolling will also be conducted in sensitive areas. Following the direction of the DM, SDM Vikasnagar AK Pandey inspected riverbeds at Dakrani and Durani on Sunday.