TAXILA: An eight-member committee recently constituted to stop the theft of placer gold from the Indus River in Attock on Tuesday decided to impose Section 144 and establish a joint check post to stop the extraction of precious metals from the river, which is mined by sifting through gravel to separate the pieces of gold.

The maiden meeting chaired by Punjab Minister for Mines and Minerals Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani was attended by Communications Minister Sohaib Ahmed and district administration and police officials.

The meeting aimed to foster better communication between administrative departments and law enforcement agencies to stop gold extraction from the river and develop a mechanism to prevent illegal mining of minerals from areas designated as “negative” by the defence ministry.

Besides the sensitivity and importance of the issue, the meeting also discussed possible measures to prevent unauthorised mining of placer gold near the Attock Khurd bridge on the Indus. The minerals minister termed placer gold a ‘national treasure’ and claimed that the theft had completely stopped.

Committee decides to establish joint check to stop extraction of minerals from Indus River

He also disclosed that blocks and zones for the excavation of placer gold were being prepared for the first time in Punjab and efforts were also afoot for auction to earn billions of rupees by the government through bidding and subsequent royalties.

“Illegal placer gold mining has also been witnessed in negative territory on several occasions,” he said, adding that the action committee would create a mechanism for the identification and recovery of placer gold stolen in the past.

Experts briefed the meeting that illegal mining of the riverbed for gold and rare earth elements was harmful to the environment while also depriving the government of revenue. They said that at least 20 kilogrammes of mercury besides other by-products and different fuels used in the excavation machinery were being dumped in the river daily, which contaminated water and harmed flora and fauna.

It may be noted that in Jan 2023, the Punjab Mines and Minerals Department launched a Rs48.2 million project for the evaluation of placer gold deposits in the Indus River in Attock in collaboration with the Geological Survey of Pakistan. The report was supposed to be prepared by June 2023 but the project remained on paper.

In September 2019, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) registered a case against six persons, including five officials of the Mines and Minerals Department, for alleged illegal extraction of gold worth millions of rupees on the pretext of quarrying gravel and sand from the riverbed near Attock. It may be mentioned here that in May this year, residents of Sojhanda village in Attock lodged a complaint with the National Accountability Bureau concerning illegal excavation along the banks of the Indus.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2024