The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the state government to file a detailed report within a week on alleged illegal mining in the Fika river near Jaspur in Udham Singh Nagar district. 

The order was issued Tuesday by a division bench comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra while hearing a public interest litigation filed by local resident Faheem Ahmed, TOI reported.

Ahmed alleged that illegal soil and riverbed mining continued unchecked in multiple villages, including Kishanpur, Puranpur, Gularbhoji, Rajpur, and Vikrampur, despite past administrative action. He claimed individuals named in the petition—Anish Ahmed, Shamim Ahmed, Ehsan, Faizan and others—continued operations in collusion with local authorities. 

The state government admitted that the district administration had fined the illegal operators Rs 16 lakh and issued a recovery certificate after non-payment. However, mining reportedly persists, prompting the court to list the matter for further hearing in seven days.

The issue underscores broader concerns about unchecked mining in Uttarakhand’s riverbeds, which have long been flagged by environmental experts and oversight bodies. According to official audits, illegal extraction of riverbed material has caused ecological imbalance, damaged infrastructure like bridges, and altered natural watercourses—posing risks to both biodiversity and human settlements.

Earlier this month, the National Green Tribunal took suo motu cognisance of illegal mining in Nakulia village, also located in Udham Singh Nagar, signaling growing judicial scrutiny of the region’s mining practices.

The case is now a key test of enforcement and environmental accountability in a state where terrain, revenue pressures, and ecological vulnerability often collide.

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Image Via Highcourt