Strict action required against people involved in illegal sand mining: NGT

New Delhi: Under liningthat strict action is required to be taken against people involved in illegal sand mining, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Uttar Pradesh authorities to take stringent measures for preventing such unauthorised mining and transportation of minor minerals.

The green body was hearing a plea regarding illegal sand mining in the Kanpur and Unnao areas in Uttar Pradesh causing pollution in River Ganga. In an order dated January 16 and made available recently, a bench of NGT’s judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad said, “The applicant has submitted that sand mining activities have been carried out without having environmental clearance (EC) and even if ECs have been granted, then those norms of clearances have not been complied with by the mining lessees which has caused severe damage to river belt.”

The tribunal noted that the applicant had named a private person or project proponent who was carrying out illegal sand mining in Bilhaur near Kanpur and built an unauthorised bridge in the Ganga river, dividing it into two streams which had become hazardous to the nearby villages and could be catastrophic for the entire region.

Noting a report by a panel, the tribunal, however, said it revealed a “graver misconduct” of illegal construction of a temporary road in the Ganga, dividing the stream and obstructing its flow, which had a far more serious adverse environmental impact than any temporary bridge.

Rapping the state’s director of the geology and mining department for remaining “completely insensitive to the issue” and “culpably ignoring” it, the tribunal said, “Natural river channels can be destroyed and dried up by spending small amounts of money, but cannot be created even with huge amounts of money and other infrastructural resources.”

It said, “The facts and circumstances of the present case reveal serious violations of environmental laws/norms by the Respondent 2 (project proponent) and serious derelictions of duties by concerned officers of the (state’s) mining department and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB).”

The tribunal directed the state chief secretary to issue appropriate instructions to all district magistrates to ensure that a copy of the executed mining lease is immediately sent to the UPPCB’s member secretary and the board’s regional office. This, the tribunal said, was necessary to ensure compliance with the EC conditions and for obtaining the mandatory consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO) before commencement of mining.