What, after all, prevents the Geology and Mining Department to make it known by a comprehensive report, in respect of the extent and the intensity of the seemingly inexorable loot of the mineral wealth by a well organised mining mafia in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir? It seems entirely untenable that while the mafia getting emboldened day in and day out due to ‘invisible’ support from the ones that should have made their clandestine operations virtually difficult to be executed, are employing every means to keep the loot of the mineral wealth going on unabated, the authorities in the concerned department, on the other hand appear to be either fully undone or are wilfully not devising the means and therefore seeking support from other Governmental agencies to prevent such illegal and wanton acts of loot. Who, in fact, therefore, bothers for the environment getting irreversibly impacted due to the vicious and continuous exploitation of the mineral wealth in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir?
At least, let it be fully made known as not only about measures of identifying the problem but what were the precise reasons, extent, location, periodicity and the offshoots thereof. Only then could solutions be found out and the ways of prevention mooted out with intent to pre-empt future occurrences. Excelsior has virtually been carrying on a sort of a determined campaign through our columns to find out ways and means to save our mineral wealth from being looted with impunity. It is, however, entirely difficult to get a hang of the prevailing scenario in that not only the Geology and Mining Department but even the majority of the Deputy Commissioners concerned are found wanting in proceeding with the exercise of conducting surveys in their respective districts to find out the precise problem. As on date, unbelievably several sites of Mineral Check Posts even have not been identified.
Geology and Mining Department has even been adversely commented upon by the State High Court on number of times for proving quite indifferent towards the menace of illegal mining and various deleterious effects, it brought in its wake, on environment in many forms. It may be noted that some work in this regard was done by the civil administration in Kathua district in respect of the extent of illegal mining going on unabated following a joint survey conducted but what action has been taken in respect of the findings is not known till date. The Director Geology and Mining, was asked by the Principle Secretary to Industries and Commerce Department to submit a factual report in respect of such illegal mining and the same was slated to have been submitted within a period of 10 days in the middle of October this year. In the same way, Deputy Commissioners concerned too were asked to follow suit in respect of conducting surveys in their respective jurisdictions regarding illegal mining. In this connection, we feel that merely by issuing directives and circulars by the bureaucracy at the top will hardly deliver the desired results, unless clauses of default or non compliance were not only incorporated in such directives but implemented too.
We are constrained to point out that when push comes to shove in matters of not performing in Government departments, thumb rule of ‘salaries only against the work done’ be scrupulously but effectively implemented. Agreed, the problem has assumed the proportions of growing gigantic and perhaps Geology and Mining Department alone was not in a position to stop and prevent the mafia from looting the mineral wealth as Police, Revenue, Industries and Commerce departments had to work shoulder to shoulder and in close cooperation with the Geology and Mining Department but at least what prevents the principle department from preparing a comprehensive report on the entire spectrum of the issue and suggest preventive measures is the main question.
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