Gypsum mining around Barmer IAF station being checked: A K Antony

NEW DELHI: Illegal mining of gypsum around Air Force Station Uttarlai in Barmer district of Rajasthan has been substantially reduced after concerted efforts, Defence Minister A K Antony told Rajya Sabha today.

"The matter of illegal mining of gypsum around Air Force Station Uttarlai has been taken up by the Air Force officials with the Barmer district administration," he said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.

"Following concerted efforts by the Air Force and civil authorities in this regard, Air Force has reported that there has been significant reduction in the illegal mining activities around the Uttarlai Air Force Station," he said.

Though there was substantial reduction in illegal mining, he said the defence ministry wanted "total stoppage of illegal mining."

Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said patrolling around the air force station has been intensified to check illegal mining.

As a result, illegal mining "activity has reduced to about 5 per cent," he said, adding the issue first came to notice in 2010.

Air Force officials took up the matter with the district authorities and the issue has since then been regularly discussed in the month coordination meetings between them, he added.