Kishtwar district administration cracks down on illegal mining and imposes over five lakh penalty

KISHTWAR, JUNE 05 — Under the directions of District Development Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma, a joint enforcement team led by Additional District Development Commissioner Vinod Kumar Behnal and District Mineral Officer Virinder Dev conducted an extensive field inspection along the Kishtwar–Paddar Road to curb illegal mining activities.

The operation focused on identifying illegal mining, unauthorized roadside mineral dumps, and the transportation of minor minerals without valid e-Challans and GPS-enabled Vehicle Tracking Devices.During the inspection, the team intercepted a vehicle transporting approximately 25 metric tons of crushed stones without a valid e-Challan. The vehicle was immediately seized and handed over to the police post in Padyarna, with a penalty of ₹22,312.50 imposed on the violator. Additionally, the enforcement team detected and seized unauthorized mineral dumps at Atholi-Paddar containing roughly 1,050 metric tons of ordinary sand and 500 metric tons of river bed material, resulting in a penalty of ₹4,85,775.

The day-long drive resulted in total penalties amounting to ₹5,08,087.50, and the seizure receipts were transferred to the police station in Atholi, Paddar, to prevent any unauthorized removal of the materials.

Authorities advised vehicle owners and drivers to carry mandatory transit documents and ensure GPS tracking compliance. Furthermore, residents were urged to refrain from dumping materials along roadsides to maintain smooth vehicular movement and ensure pedestrian safety.