Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 7: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from Government of J&K Union Territory over the use of heavy machinery for the purpose of mining on river beds on streams and rivers of Valley.
A Division Bench of Justice Sudhir Aggarwal and Dr Senthil Vel (Expert Member) in order to ensure minimal use of heavy machinery over the river beds of Doodh Ganga, Rambiara and Ramshoo streams has directed for constitution of a joint committee and in this regard has sought a detailed report from the authorities with regard to use of heavy machinery like JCBs and L&T cranes in riverbed mining in Kashmir division.
The bench for the time being has took up only the illegal riverbed mining case pertaining to district Budgam and asked the counsel of the petitioner Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat to file separate applications for other two districts of Pulwama and Shopian.
The petitioner submitted that Environmental Clearances for the 6 mining locations have been granted on the basis of the condition that mining will be undertaken manually with minimal support from mechanized methods and no heavy machinery can be used.
The NGT bench while taking note of plea of petitioner-Bhat felt it appropriate to obtain a factual report, for the purpose whereof, a joint Committee comprising Pollution Control Committee J&K, State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority- SEIAA, Director, Geology and Mining Department and District Magistrate, Budgam was constituted.
“The factual and action taken report shall be submitted within two months. A copy of this order be forwarded to State PCB; SEIAA J&K, Director, Geology and Mining Department and District Magistrate, Budgam by e-mail for compliance”, reads the order.
The petitioner in his plea submits that JCBs and L&T cranes were being used for riverbed mining by project proponents in Doodh Ganga, Rambiara and Ramshoo Nallah which goes against the J&K Minor Mineral Concession Rules 2016 and guidelines of J&K State Environment Impact Assessment Authority-SEIAA.
It has further been added on behalf of petitioner-Bhat that the concerned authorities including Geology & Mining Secretary, District Magistrates , DMOs and Police were requested that JCB’s , L&T Cranes can’t be used for extracting sand , boulders , gravel , bajri and other riverbed material but they failed to act even after my repeated requests in the past.
He says that there is a nexus between the Mining Department and so called Project Proponents and the Mining Department is targeting local lorry and truck drivers by levying huge penalties on them under the garb of Environmental Compensation, but no action is being taken against the erring project proponents who are the main violators.
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