Udhampur, July 06: Expressing grave concern over the unchecked and unregulated mining activities in Udhampur, MLA from Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania, has said that the practice is wreaking havoc on the region’s ecological balance, posing a direct threat to aquatic life, infrastructure, and public health.
As per the statement issued here, he reviewed various locations in the area—including Battal and Dipper—Pathania pointed to recent incidents of mass fish deaths and the dying aquatic ecosystem as signs of severe environmental stress. He said that “unbridled mining is disturbing the ecological balance and natural biodiversity of the area. Aquatic flora and fauna are dying, and water bodies are turning increasingly turbid, affecting drinking water and threatening public health.”
Pathania highlighted that illegal mining is being carried out perilously close to water filtration plants, pumping stations, and even near forested areas, which are supposed to be protected. He warned that critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads are also at risk due to soil erosion and destabilization caused by these mining operations, posing a danger to public safety.
Taking strong exception to the selective action by local authorities, Pathania said, “The administration often targets small trolleys operators merely to create headlines, while the real culprits—the big fish—continue their operations unchecked, depleting natural resources with impunity.”He called for a high-level probe to uncover and expose the nexus between officials, politicians, and mining contractors, holding them accountable for the ongoing environmental damage and failure of enforcement.
Pathania was accompanied by Ashish Sharma (Mandal Pradhan), Lalita Sharma (Mandal Pradhan), Joginder, Subhash Sharma, Virender Singh, Vikram Singh, Arti Sharma, Sehdev Singh, Girdhari Lal Padha (all Sarpanches), and a large number of concerned locals.
