Moga, October 10 — The Punjab government has notified 29 flood-affected villages in the Dharamkot area of Moga district under the “Jihda Khet Usdi Ret” scheme, allowing farmers to remove sand and silt deposited on their fields by recent floods, officials said on Friday.
Under the scheme, landowners can de-silt or remove river-borne deposits from their agricultural land without obtaining any permit or no-objection certificate (NOC). The exemption will remain in force until December 31, 2025.
Moga Deputy Commissioner Sagar Setia said the move aims to help farmers restore their arable land affected by flood debris. “The process will be supervised by the Executive Engineer of the Water Resources Department-cum-District Mining Officer to ensure sand removal is done scientifically and responsibly,” he added.
Setia clarified that the activity is a one-time measure for land restoration and will not be treated as mining. However, landowners must ensure that the original surface of the field is preserved and no ditches or trenches are created. The Executive Engineer-cum-District Mining Officer will also monitor to prevent illegal extraction outside the notified fields, particularly from riverbeds or public areas.
The 29 villages covered under the scheme include Sanghera, Kambo Khurd, Kambo Kalan, Sherewala, Bhaini, Mehruwala, Madarpur, Bandala, Melak Kalan, Mander Kalan, Daulewala Kalan, Daulewala Khurd, Gattijattan, Chak Tarewala, Chak Bhora, Chak Singhpura, Bassian, Sirsari, Kamalke, Gatti Kamalke, Parliwala, Said Jalalpur, Jhuggian, Adarman, Baghe, Sherpur Taiban, Rehrawan, Manjli, and Bir Sarka.
Issuing a stern warning, the DC said any violation of these directions would be treated as illegal activity. Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and the Executive Engineer-cum-District Mining Officers have been instructed to ensure that no unauthorised mining occurs beyond the scope of this notification. Violators will face action under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
