Illegal mining threatens rivers, ecology in Himachal's Kangra

Rampant and unscientific mining in the lower areas of Palampur, Baijnath, Jaisinghpur and Sulah subdivisions of Kangra district has emerged as a major threat to the region's fragile ecology. Extraction of sand, stones and gravel from rivers and rivulets, coupled with large-scale hill cutting and deforestation, is causing extensive environmental degradation.