NGT tells state to ensure ban on ‘illegal’ sand mining

New Delhi, July 7

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today directed the state government to ensure there was no “illegal” sand mining being carried out on the floodplains of the Ganga in the state.

A Bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swantanter Kumar, asked the Trivendra Singh Rawat government to take necessary steps in this regard on a plea filed by an NGO seeking a stay on mining of minor minerals on the bed of the Ganga in Haridwar.

“The counsel appearing for the state government and the state Pollution Control Board submit that they will take all requisite steps to ensure that there is no illegal mining in the state and there are no stone crushers which pollute the environment,” the Bench noted.

During the hearing, the state government and the state Pollution Control Board told the tribunal that they had taken action against 30 stone crushers.

The direction came while disposing a plea, filed by NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE), which had alleged that illegal mining of sand and boulders was being carried out in Bishanpur, Goghpur and Kandabhagamal villages on the bank of the Ganga in the state.

“The act of illegal mining is not only endangering the environment, but is also in non-compliance of enactments listed in Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010,” it had said.

The plea had also submitted photographs showing large-scale illegal mining of minerals and said mining in these areas was not only damaging the environment and ecology of the river but also affecting the movement of wildlife. — PTI