A total of 1,531 cases of illegal mining and transportation were recorded in the border areas of Himachal Pradesh (HP) in 2024-25. These areas include Kangra’s Mand, Indora, and Fatehpur; Nalagarh in Solan; Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur; and parts of Una district.

This amounts to more than four cases of illegal mining per day.

Advertisement

The Himachal Pradesh government shared this information in response to a question by Indora MLA Malender Rajan in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday.

In 981 cases, a penalty of Rs 77.96 lakh has been imposed, while the remaining cases are either pending in court or at the departmental level.

To curb the smuggling of sand to other states, the government has imposed a ban on granting mining leases in border areas.

The government also stated that it has introduced the Himachal Pradesh Mineral Policy, 2024, to regulate illegal mining in the state’s border areas, “protect valuable mineral resources, ensure environmental conservation, and manage mineral extraction scientifically.”

The government acknowledged that illegal mining primarily occurs on government land. The 2024 policy includes provisions allowing the Public Works Department and the Irrigation Department to file FIRs if damage is observed to their assets, such as bridges or irrigation schemes.

It was also noted that, in border areas, due to a lack of clear demarcation, soil, sand, and stones from riverbeds are extracted illegally to meet local demand. To facilitate this, illegal roads are often constructed along riverbanks and public works department roads, which are closed periodically with the assistance of the local administration.

The government further stated that illegal mining mostly takes place at night. To address this, restrictions have been imposed on mining activities between 8 pm and 5 am.

As per the government guidelines, no individual is allowed to carry out mining operations during nighttime, and no machinery or vehicles can be parked in mining areas during these hours. However, this restriction does not apply to materials processed by stone crushers.

The state government also informed that officials from various departments, including the police, forest, and revenue departments, have been empowered to file cases in court against those engaged in illegal mining and transportation, as well as to seize machinery and equipment used in such activities.

At the district level, concerned Deputy Commissioners (DCs) continue to hold meetings to address illegal mining.