The lax attitude of the authorities in the Nalagarh sub-division of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area has led to an increase in illegal mining on the Nalagarh-Ropar State Highway close to the Sarsa Bridge. Here even the demarcated protected forest (DPF) land has not been spared. The blatant plundering of sand from the DPF land on a stretch of nearly 5 to 10 km on the Nalagarh-Ropar State Highway, where crevices measuring 7 to 10 ft had developed, bore the testimony to the large scale illegal mining that was underway in Nalagarh, said Balkrishen Sharma, general secretary, Him Parivesh, an environmental NGO in the area. He alleged that the action of the Forest Department was limited to challaning, which failed to serve any purpose as the mining mafia continued to plunder the DPF land. Boulders lifted from this area was being supplied to various stone crushers of Punjab, which were located close to the bordering areas of Nalagarh, he added Since this was an old riverbed of the Sarsa river, the land is rich in sand and boulders. However, plantation of khair and eucalyptus trees had been undertaken in the area in the past and the trees were being uprooted in the process, he said. Despite the NGO having taken up the issue with the Forest Department several times, a little had been done to stop the illegal mining in the area, said JS Dhukiya, president, Him Parivesh. He said the damage caused to the area should be evaluated and damages should be slapped on forest officials and illegal traders for failing to check this nefarious trade. Though the state government had authorised more than 30 officials of various departments to check illicit mining, apart from the SDM, Nalagarh, and mining officials no other officer checked this activity. Though the Mining Department had banned plying of vehicles carrying mining material from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am, the police failed to check tractors carrying quarry material from inter-state barriers on the plea of having little staff. Under such circumstances, this ban had failed to serve any purpose and it had become only a formality. Yunus, SDM, said some people had been booked for theft two days ago and he had put on hold clearances to new stone crushers and new lease as the area was facing environmental issues and every new stone crusher was adding to illicit activity. He said a penalty worth Rs 1 crore had been collected in the last seven months from the Nalagarh area alone. He said the complaint would be inquired into and suitable action would be taken against the perpetrators of the illegal trade.