It's 'mine blowing anarth' in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district

A government-appointed expert committee has warned that unregulated mining operations in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar district are destabilising fragile Himalayan slopes, endangering villages and farmlands, and disrupting water sources.

- Biswajeet Banerjee

In a detailed report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the committee called for urgent reforms in mining practices and stricter monitoring mechanisms.

The report, titled "Geological Assessment and Recommendations for Sustainable Mining Practices in Bageshwar District," follows widespread complaints from locals about recurring landslides, cracks

in residential structures, drying up of springs, and declining agricultural productivity.

The Kanda-Kanyal valley in Bageshwar is known to house one of the country’s richest soapstone reserves, widely used in the paper, paint, cosmetic, and construction industries.