The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered an immediate halt to illegal mining in Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts. The directive comes days after the Enforcement Directorate raided several mining sites in Pathankot.Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor passed the order on Wednesday on a writ petition filed by Amandeep Kaur. The petition included photographs showing heavy machinery being used for mining. The court noted that large-scale mining was taking place in villages across both districts.Gurdaspur and Pathankot are considered to be mining-rich districts, as several rivers, including the Ravi, and rivulets flow in from the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh.The Deputy Commissioners and District Mining Officers of Gurdaspur and Pathankot have been instructed to stop all unauthorised mining and submit status reports by the next hearing. The court also directed them to video record the affected areas. The next hearing is scheduled for August 3.“We may indicate that in case any violation of this order is noticed, then the court will proceed to fix personal responsibility of the officer or officers who are entrusted with the task of ensuring that illegal mining does not take place,” the Bench stated.Sources said mining was prohibited during the monsoon season, from July 1 to September 15, yet illegal extraction of sand and other materials continued unchecked.