Illegal Mining Prevention Vigilance Unit (IMPVU) chief executive officer and Garhwal Range IG/DIG Sanjay Kumar Gunjyal directed the district police heads to conduct a drive against illegal mining operators in the riverbed areas. He also stressed that stringent action would be taken against the mining operators caught indulging in illegal activities in the districts.
Taking note of reports of rampant illegal extraction of natural resources from the riverbed areas sharing border with Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, Gunjyal constituted eight teams each comprising three platoons of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).
They conducted raids in the riverbed areas of Dehradun and Haridwar on January 9 night. The teams conducted raids at riverbed areas of Asharodi, Jhajhra, Harbartpur, Kulal check post, Nya gaon, Dharmawala, Doiwala, laksar, Shyampur, Pherupur, Ibrahimpur, Bishanpur Kundi, Bishanpur, Jharda, Bhogpur, Raipur Raighati, Nallowala, Rawasan river, lal Tapad and other places in Haridwar.
The teams checked the documents of around 400 tractors, trolleys and dumpers laden with illegal quarried materials, coming from riverbed towards city and police officers of the district concerned were directed to take action against illegal mining operators as per law.
He directed the SSPs of Haridwar and Dehradun to take measures jointly to prevent illegal mining activities in their respective districts. The police officers should conduct surprise checking on illegal mining activities in the riverbeds areas in their districts, he added.
The State Government had earlier formed IMPVU that comprised DIG, inspector, sub-inspector and constables to stop illegal mining activities across the State.