With the mining period having expired for five stone quarries in Bihar and their leases subsequently cancelled, concerns over illegal stone mining have intensified. In response, the Mines and Geology Department has directed mining officers in the concerned districts to maintain heightened surveillance.
According to departmental sources, apart from issuing instructions for special monitoring at the district level, separate flying squad teams have also been constituted as a precautionary measure. These teams will carry out regular inspections of the quarries where mining operations have ceased.
Following the expiry of leases for five quarries, stone mining activities are currently being carried out at only three locations, covering a total area of approximately 37.5 acres. Mining approval had earlier been granted for five years for one quarry in Gaya district and seven quarries in Sheikhpura district.
The lease for the sole quarry in Gaya expired on December 15, 2025. In Sheikhpura district, the lease for one of the quarries expired on November 26, 2025, while the leases for three others lapsed on different dates in December 2025.
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Mining operations continue at the remaining three quarries. The lease period for two of these quarries is scheduled to expire on June 13, 2026, while the third quarry’s lease will end on August 16, 2026.