The petition sought action against alleged illegal mining and extraction of riverbed material around the Agampur bridge on the Sutlej and Swan rivers
18 June, 2026 – Ropar : The Punjab and Haryana High Court has permitted the Punjab Government to undertake limited desilting operations near the Agampur bridge over the Sutlej river till June 30. The court also directed the Ropar DC to personally ensure that no illegal mining takes place in the area.
The directions were issued by a division bench comprising Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri and Justice Deepak Gupta while hearing a petition filed by Prem Dutt Sharma. The petition sought action against alleged illegal mining and extraction of riverbed material around the Agampur bridge on the Sutlej and Swan rivers.
The state government had filed an application seeking modification of the court’s June 8 interim order that had stayed activities shown in photographs attached with the petition. It argued that the stoppage had halted urgent desilting and repair work needed to protect the bridge ahead of the monsoon.
During the hearing, the Punjab Government told the court that a joint inspection by the SDM, Anandpur Sahib, and the district mining officer found traces of illegal mining at some locations around the bridge, after which FIRs were registered. However, no evidence of illegal mining was found directly beneath the bridge.
The state further submitted that heavy sediment deposition upstream had blocked five of the bridge’s seven pillars, leaving water to flow only through Pillar Nos. 1 and 2. Officials said the excessive water pressure had weakened Pillar No. 1, creating a risk of structural failure and increasing the possibility of flooding during the monsoon.
After examining photographs and the status report, the court observed that the pillar at Gate No. 1 appeared to be in a dilapidated condition. The bench noted that if the entire river flow continued through only two gates during the monsoon, there was a genuine risk of damage to the bridge and flooding in nearby areas.
Allowing the state’s plea in part, the court permitted repair and strengthening of the bridge pillar. It also allowed desilting of notified khasra numbers 35 to 50 metres upstream of the bridge. The work can continue only till June 30. No further desilting will be allowed without the court’s express permission.
The bench directed the state to strictly comply with National Green Tribunal’s directions on environmental safeguards and sediment management norms.
The court held the Ropar DC personally responsible for preventing illegal mining around Agampur and neighbouring villages. The officer has been asked to inspect the site and file a fresh status report before the next hearing on July 2. The court warned that if any illegal mining is detected, the DC will be answerable.
The Tribune