Staff shortage makes curbing illegal mining difficult in Gurugram, Nuh

Gurugram, Feb 5

Department of Mines and Geology Department of Gurugram and Nuh are struggling with acute shortage of staff and infrastructure which makes it difficult for the concerned officials to curb illegal mining across the two districts.

Sources in the department said that they did not have sufficient infrastructure, including government vehicles, due to which they had to rely either on private vehicles or others for patrolling.

“Due to the lack of vehicles, sometimes we have failed to verify the complaints received about illegal mining,” said an employee of the department.

The department officials said that only one Inspector and five mining guards are stationed in Gurugram and only one mining guard is deployed in Nuh to check illegal mining.

"There is an acute shortage of inspectors in Haryana. We have already sent a recommendation of 10 mining guards two weeks ago to the government. Due to insufficient staff, checking illegal mining has become a difficult task for the existing staff as we are overburdened," Anil Atwal, the Mining Officer of Gurugram, told IANS.

The two districts are currently under the watch of only one Mining Officer. The Nuh does not have a Mining Officer while the Gurugram Mining Department is responsible for its administration.

The two districts have always remained vulnerable to illegal mining.

The Supreme Court in 2009 had imposed a ban on mining in three south Haryana districts -- Gurgaon, Nuh and Faridabad.