Landowners Can Desilt Rivers; Panel Formed to Probe Illegal Mining

April

2026

In a move to strengthen flood preparedness ahead of the monsoon, the Panjab cabinet approved landowners to undertake desilting of rivers, rivulets, and drains—including Satluj, Beas, and Siswan rivers—at their own expense, with the right to use the excavated material free of charge. The move aims to improve river flow across critical stretches but also shows how the efforts that the government should make are being pushed onto citizens’ shoulders. Meanwhile, residents of Khera Kalmot village, Ropar district have alleged that illegal mining continues on land attached by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to illegal mining. Residents living near the attached property alleged that tippers laden with excavated material frequently passed through narrow unmetalled roads. The Punjab Mining Department has issued a recovery notice of USD 36,525 to the landowners. Furthermore, a joint committee, comprising officials from the Mining and Revenue departments of Ludhiana and Jalandhar, was formed to probe illegal mining in districts. Residents of Gorsian Khan Mohammad village, Ludhiana district brought the matter to the notice of Aam Aadmi Party leader Tejpal Singh Gill by showing videos of illegal mining in the area. Gill wrote a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seeking investigation into the matter and alleging negligence by officials in the two districts. According to Gill, around a dozen overloaded vehicles and multiple machines engaged in mining were operating when he visited the spot with locals. Additionally, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up the Panjab Government for failing to meet its deadline on the demarcation of Satluj floodplain along a 47-km stretch in Ferozepur and Tarn Taran districts. According to the status report, large portions of the survey have been completed in the Nangal region, while work in the Harike area remains incomplete. Meanwhile, experts flagged concerns regarding Panjab’s efforts to replenish its groundwater noting that tube wells in neighboring Pakistan may be pumping out the subsurface water to irrigate the field and called for a comprehensive study of transboundary aquifers. Concurrently, the India Meteorological Department has issued a heatwave alert for Panjab suggesting maximum temperatures will cross 45℃ in the coming days (earlier coverage).