A Tribune investigation-II
SC orders take a back seat
From Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD: The Supreme Court’s orders regarding the preservation and maintenance of the environment and ecology around the two tourist resorts of Surajkund and Badkhal Lake, under serious threat by unregulated mining, are not being implemented in letter and spirit either by the authorities or by mine-lease holders. Barring the blanket ban on mining within the 2-km radius of the two tourist resorts imposed by the apex court, scant respect is being paid to the other court directions.

On a writ petition filed by environmentalist-lawyer M.C. Mehta, the Supreme Court banned all mining activities within a radius of 5 km of the Badkhal Lake and Surajkund. When the mine-operators represented to the court that their mines had been closed without hearing them, the apex court sought the opinion of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri).

Land turns barren after mining in Faridabad district of Haryana. —Photo by Vijender Tyagi

Later, the banned area was reduced to 2 km in May, 1996. However, the court imposed certain conditions for operation of mines within the 3-km wide belt between the 5-km radius and the 2-km radius of the two tourist resorts.

No mining lease was to be renewed within the belt without obtaining prior no-objection certificates both from the Haryana Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board. Besides, the mine operators were required to start their operations only after the submission of duly approved Environmental Management Plans (EMP) which were to be implemented in a time-bound manner.

The court also directed the Director, Mining and Geology, Haryana, and the State Pollution Control Board to enforce all the recommendations made by Neeri, which were highlighted in the court orders.

The recommendations included the undertaking of detailed exploratory operations to estimate mineral reserves in the region and for scientific management of mining operations. The operations were to be undertaken in series so that the mining could be completed to full potential in a block before moving to the next. This would have helped in the reclamation of land in the block in which mining operations had been completed. Safety plans were to be prepared and necessary devices were to be installed for the protection of mine workers.

Dust suppression measures like sprinkling of water on haulage roads and overburden dumps and other areas were to be implemented by the lease holders. The EMPs were to include land rejuvenation and afforestation programmes and other measures necessary to protect the quality of environment and human health.

No lease holder has adopted anti-pollution measures recommended by Neeri. Nor any safety devices have been installed. The Pollution Board seldom checks the mines, the operators of which enjoy significant clout.

Today Mr Mehta sounds like a tired and defeated man. He regrets that today things move only if the courts continue to monitor their orders. He is also sad over the absence of cooperation from the general public in the fight to protect environment and ecology. What pains him most is the general reluctance shown by the people not to identify themselves even when they approach him to once again take up the cudgels against the environmental pollution.

(Concluded)