Chandigarh: The district administration of Nawanshahr today swung into action to check illegal mining in the Sutlej riverbed. All mining activity in the riverbed has come to a halt. Following a report on illegal mining in The Tribune columns today, Industries Minister Anil Joshi directed the Nawanshahr district administration as well as the Principal Secretary, Industries, AR Talwar, to conduct a probe. A team of officials led by SDM Neeraj Gupta and officers of the mining department surveyed the area near Knaun, Sedpur Kalan, Sedpur Khurd and Phul Makuari villages. It is learnt that officials of the Forest Department also visited the area. The Tribune had reported that the sand mining mafia had shifted base to Nawanshahr from Ropar. It had also highlighted that illegal miners had been digging trenches along the banks of the Sutlej since April this year. As a result, the river had changed its course. Mining is allowed in 13 quarries, covering 115.97 acres, in the district of Nawanshahr. Talwar said the probe would cover four aspects — damage to dhussi bandhs by trucks ferrying sand and gravel from the riverbed, demarcation of area of the legally auctioned quarries to see that larger areas were not quarried illegally, the depth of pits dug by miners and the quantity of riverbed material lifted by them. “I expect the report by tomorrow. Appropriate action will be taken against the accused,” he said.