Amritsar-The Ravi River, flowing through the strategically sensitive border districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur and parts of Hoshiarpur, has once again emerged as a major political battleground in Punjab. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has launched a scathing attack on the Bhagwant Mann government, alleging that large-scale illegal sand and gravel mining is being carried out in the riverbed with the active connivance of the AAP administration. In his post, Majithia branded the Ravi as the “ATM of the Bhagwant Mann government,” claiming that Punjab’s natural resources are being systematically plundered and that the proceeds may be flowing to political higher-ups in Delhi. This is not an isolated complaint. Illegal mining along the Ravi has been a chronic problem for more than a decade, spanning multiple governments. Heavy excavators dig deep pits in the riverbed, which weakens embankments, changes the river’s natural course, increases flood risks during the monsoon, and threatens bridges and farmland. Because the river runs close to the India-Pakistan border, security agencies have repeatedly warned that unchecked mining creates vulnerabilities — unverified labourers, temporary roads and night-time operations can potentially aid cross-border smuggling or drone activity. Majithia specifically cited a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that directed the state to stop illegal mining in Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur, warning that officials could face jail if the activity continued. Opposition parties argue that the AAP government’s “Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret” policy — originally meant to help flood-hit farmers extract limited sand from their own fields — is being widely abused by the mining mafia to dig commercially in the actual riverbed.
The state government, for its part, claims it has introduced transparent online auctions and stricter monitoring to curb illegality, while pointing to occasional seizures of machines and FIRs as proof of action.The controversy has gained extra sharpness because Majithia repeatedly called Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann “Guru Dokhi,” linking the mining allegations to the separate religious controversy in which Akal Takht authorities had issued a social boycott directive against the CM over a disputed viral video. This mix of environmental, financial and religious criticism has turned the Ravi issue into a full-blown political offensive.While courts and the National Green Tribunal have intervened multiple times — sometimes staying mining, sometimes closing specific complaints for lack of evidence — ground reports from journalists and local residents continue to show excavators and tipper trucks operating in various stretches of the river. The question of whether this is administrative failure, policy loopholes, or deliberate political protection remains hotly contested. What is undisputed is that the Ravi’s sand continues to generate both huge profits and serious questions about governance, ecology and border security in Punjab.