Illegal miners hit Swan, Sutlej riverbeds in Ropar at night
The Swan and Sutlej riverbeds in Ropar turn into sprawling illegal mining hubs every night in defiance of state mining laws. During a midnight visit on the intervening night of November 10 and 11, The Tribune witnessed dozens of excavators and tippers operating openly under floodlights revealing a scale of unlawful activity far greater than what district authorities publicly acknowledge.