The Indian Army has issued instructions to the Punjab government regarding mining near the border. According to the instructions issued by the army, if mining is to be done within 5 km from the border, then it will be necessary to have NOC. The Army has said that any kind of mining will be allowed only after receiving NOC from the state government.
The Army has also asked the Punjab government to include it in its mining policies. However, since August 28, the High Court has banned mining activities on the international border in Punjab.
The letter was sent to Krishna Kumar, Principal Secretary (Department of Water Resources, Mining and Geology), Punjab in a case pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding illegal mining in Punjab. The letter was written on behalf of the Western Command on October 19. According to which, from the international border between India-Pakistan (BP-1 to BP-274) in Punjab up to the depth of the line for any mining activity and military defense operations more than 500 meters east Sideways should not be allowed.