Mining the future: Sirmaur villagers block convoy of Industry Minister

Villagers in Shivpur and Haripur Tohana, rural localities near Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district, today halted the convoy of Industries, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour and Employment Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, on the Bangran road to register their growing anguish over unchecked illegal mining and its cascading impact on the local environment, water resources and road safety.

The minister was en route Rajpura for a public outreach event under the ‘Sarkar Janata Ke Dwaar’ programme when residents blocked his passage on the Bangran road. The impromptu protest, which was peaceful but emotionally charged, took place in the presence of Deputy Commissioner Priyanka Verma, Additional Superintendent of Police Yogesh Rolta and several senior officers from the district administration.

The villagers, many of them farmers and daily wage workers, alleged that illegal mining activities in the region have reached alarming proportions, resulting in the complete exhaustion of underground water sources. “Earlier, hand pumps and borewells provided water well into June. This year, they have gone dry even before peak summer began. We are staring at a severe drinking water crisis,” said one protester.

According to the residents, indiscriminate excavation in riverbeds and nearby forested areas has disturbed the natural aquifers, causing irreversible ecological damage. They alleged that even minor rivulets and seasonal streams have either dried up or changed their course due to excessive digging and use of heavy machinery by unregulated stone crushers operating in the area.

Apart from environmental degradation, villagers expressed deep concern over the safety risks posed by overloaded and speeding trucks transporting mined material. The administration, they said, had fixed operating hours for these vehicles — from 10 pm to 5 am — to avoid congestion and reduce noise pollution. However, locals claimed that the trucks routinely ply from 8 pm to 8 am with impunity.

“These heavy vehicles barrel through narrow village roads at breakneck speeds. Their speed limit is supposed to be 30 km/h, but no one enforces it. Several fatal accidents involving two-wheelers and pedestrians have occurred, but little has been done,” a resident told The Tribune.

The villagers further alleged that while local police are quick to penalise common citizens for minor traffic violations, they appear reluctant to act against powerful mining contractors and vehicle operators.

Frustrated by the lack of response from enforcement agencies, villagers said they had no choice but to take matters into their own hands. “After 8 o’clock this morning, we stopped more than 50 trucks that were overloaded with mining material,” said one protester. “This wasn’t a protest out of choice, but out of helplessness. The administration is silent, so we had to act.”

In a symbolic act of protest, the villagers also stopped a vehicle of the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Sirmaur, which was headed to the same government programme. When apprised of the situation, RTO Sona Chauhan assured the villagers of immediate follow-up. “I am on my way to the Sarkar Janata Ke Dwaar event right now. If these trucks are still here when I return, or if you manage to stop them until the event concludes, their weight will be measured at the weighbridge, their documentation will be checked, and strict legal action will be taken,” she told the crowd.

The protest comes a day after Paonta Sahib Municipal Councillor Dr Rohtash Nagia held a press conference in Paonta Sahib alleging political collusion in the stone crusher industry.

“Whether in power or in opposition, everyone seems to have stakes in the mining business. That is why the administration remains mute. I myself am in politics, but I have taken an oath never to be associated with the mining trade. It is not only destroying our environment but also endangering public health and safety,” Dr Nagia said.

Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan listened patiently to the villagers’ grievances and directed the police to take immediate action against vehicles operating outside the approved hours. “No one is above the law. I have instructed the department to enforce existing rules strictly, especially concerning timing and speed violations,” he said.

He further assured the villagers that a joint meeting involving local representatives, administrative officials, and stakeholders from the mining industry would be convened within a week to find a balanced and long-term solution. “Our goal is to ensure that legal business operations continue, but not at the cost of people’s safety and natural resources. Concrete steps will be taken soon,” he added.

Himachal Tribune