MANSEHRA: Residents and local government representatives from Shergar village council here on Friday complained about the damage caused to water resources and roads by illegal mining in Darband and Oghi tehsils and demanded of the government to take corrective measures.

“We have approached the Peshawar High Court seeking action against those responsible for destroying the environment and damaging road and water resources in our areas,” chairman of the Shergar Village Council Ijaz Ahmad told reporters in Oghi.

Accompanied by a group of locals, Mr Ahmad said that due to large-scale illegal mining in Darband and Oghi tehsils, roads used for transporting giant granite rocks and overloaded mineral consignments had been destroyed.

“Our water resources are drying up rapidly owing to excavation and blasting activities, but the government has failed to take punitive action against those responsible,” he said.

Residents complain activity damaging roads, environment

The council chairman said advocate Siraj Munir had also moved the Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench, seeking action against those involved in illegal mining in Darband and Oghi, which had polluted the environment and damaged roads and water supplies.

“Due to unplanned and abrupt mining, the Tarbela Dam reservoir is also being filled at an alarming rate. However, no government agency has taken notice of this mega loss,” he said.

Mr Ahmad saidthe Darband-Oghi and Oghi-Mansehra roads had been destroyed by overloaded trucks transporting minerals.

“All link roads leading to mining sites, as well as the main artery connecting Darband, Oghi, and Mansehra, are in ruins, but the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Highway Authority has yet to take notice or begin re-carpeting,” he said.

ENCROACHMENTS REMOVED: The police on Friday removed temporary encroachments in Lari Adda and adjoining bazaar to clear the way for traffic.

“Owing to temporary encroachments outside shops, business centres, in Lari Adda Road, traffic flow was severely disrupted. Following our anti-encroachment drive, vehicular movement is now smooth,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Mudassar Zia told reporters.

He said district police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapur had taken notice of traffic congestion at Lari Adda and on Shinkiari Road and ordered the immediate removal of encroachments.

“We also removed handcarts parked along the roadsides that were obstructing both traffic and pedestrians.Traffic is flowing smoothly as a result of the operation,” he said.

Meanwhile, traffic police also removed hundreds of pressure horns, fancy number plates and other illegal gadgets from passenger and private vehicles during a crackdown across the district.

District traffic police chief Anas Khan said tinted glasses were also removed from vehicles during the operation, which was conducted simultaneously in Mansehra, Balakot, Baffa-Pakhal, Oghi and Darband tehsils.

He said the crackdown aimed to ensure motorists and motorcyclists strictly follow traffic rules while driving.

“We also confiscated dozens of motorcycles driven by underage bikers. They were returned after the youth’s fathers promised not to allow such dangerous behaviour in the future,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2025