The Army has informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that nearby bunkers in Punjab’s border areas may lose structural integrity and strength as a result of mining operations. According to the Army, mine will hinder military movement in the event of an attack, delaying the need for reinforcements and counterattack operations. The Army responded after being asked by the court to provide a report on the harm caused to spurs and bunkers by mining operations.
In an affidavit submitted before the bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli on Thursday, Captain Ashima Das, officer-in-charge (legal cell) of Western Command in Chandimandir, provided the Army’s response.
The document claimed that mining would result in soil erosion, which would cause bunkers to collapse and negatively impact defence readiness. According to the declaration, mining a riverbed is likely to modify the river’s depth and course in numerous locations, affecting the architecture of the defences.
The affidavit stated that mining could “not only limit troop movement but also affect natural water drainage, resulting in unpredictable flooding.” The affidavit was written in response to a High Court judgement on August 30 that instructed the Union of India, the respondent, to request a report from the Army authorities on the harm done and the threat to national security.
The Army had earlier claimed that gorges and ditches created by unlawful mining made cross-border infiltration easier in another affidavit that was submitted in a separate instance. Additionally, unplanned and unregulated mining may alter the natural water drainage system and potentially alter the course of the river, making the Army posts vulnerable to flooding.
In Nuh, Haryana, which is close to the capital, the mining mafia has returned. After a government team performing a raid on an illicit mine was attacked with stones in a Nuh village, the state police have detained at least 50 people daily.
At the state’s border with Rajasthan, the state police, which participated in the raiding operations, has set up three checkpoints and identified five assailants. Personnel from the mining department and the Regional Transport Authority fill these positions as well (RTA).
A deputy superintendent of police was allegedly struck and killed by a dumper truck hauling stones from an unauthorised mine in another Nuh town about two months ago.
