Residents from several villages, affected by alleged illegal mining and stone crushers, held a protest march at Adda Jheer Da Khuh under the banner of the ‘Stop Mining, Save Land Struggle Committee’. The demonstrators, who came from about half a dozen villages, burned an effigy of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, voicing their anger over the alleged mining activities in the region.
Earlier, protestors gathered at Handwal turn, raising slogans against the government and the mining mafia. They criticised the administration for allegedly granting approval to mining operations and stone crushers in the area, claiming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which campaigned on the promise of change, had failed to address the problem. According to protestors, the mining mafia had flourished under the current state regime.
The residents pointed out new crushers had been approved in densely populated areas such as Patti Naye Ghar and Naam Nagar (Bela Sariana). They claimed under the current regime, neither the rivers nor the green hills were safe from illegal mining activities. Despite a ban in Block Talwara, the mining mafia was still extracting materials from the mountains. In addition, several stone crushers were reportedly operating along the banks of the Swan and Beas rivers, with preparations underway to establish more in the areaSurinder Singh, a former teacher from Chakk Mirpur Kothi, shared his story with the crowd, detailing the violence his family had faced for opposing the mining activities. His account resonated with those present, further fuelling their outrage. Following his speech, the protestors marched to the Adda Jheer Da Khuh market, where they burned the effigy of CM Bhagwant Mann as a symbolic act of defiance.
During the protest, the ‘Stop Mining, Save Land Struggle Committee’ issued a seven-day ultimatum to both the Punjab Government and the administration, demanding the immediate cancellation of approvals for new stone crushers. The committee also called for the registration of cases against individuals and officials involved in the alleged illegal mining operations.
A joint meeting of the affected villages has been scheduled, where further plans of action would be discussed.