Crushers defy NGT orders, admn sleeps

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 7

Despite the NGT order to shut down all stone crushers situated within the 100-m radius of rivers and rivulets in the state before December 31, the same are being run without any fear. In the Jaisinghpur area of Kangra district, a number of stone crushers are situated on the banks of Beas. Though an extension of the deadline was sought, the NGT is yet to respond to it.

During a visit to Jaisinghpur on Sunday, it was witnessed that most stone crushers were still functioning. No steps have been taken by the administration to check these.

The demarcation was carried out and it was found that all stone crushers were situated outside the radius.

It is learnt that most stone crushers are still extracting the mining material from the Beas with the help of JCB machines, tippers and trucks. Officials of the Mining Department admitted these facts.

An official of the Mining Department said the government had leased the Beas riverbed to the owners of the stone crushers, therefore no action could be taken against them. “However, in revenue records, the width of the riverbed at many points is more than 500 to 700 m as during the rainy season, the water level goes up and the entire width of 500 m is covered with floodwater, therefore it is not possible that the entire riverbed can be leased out to the mining mafia,” he said.

Around six panchayat pradhans, local stakeholders and representatives of Mahila Mandals said the demarcation was not done properly by officials of the Revenue Department, which was why these stone crushers were shown away from rivers. They said the owners of the stone crushers had encroached the riverbed in connivance with the local revenue authorities.

They had brought the matter to the notice of local MLA Ravinder Ravi Dhiman and the SDM, demanding re-demarcation by a special team of revenue officials in the presence of panchyat representatives, police officials, the SDM and villagers, but no action was taken.

The NGT, in its order dated October 30, 2018, had ruled that stone crushers functioning within 100-m radius of any river be shut down with immediate effect and also directed the government and the State Pollution Control Board to place the status report before December 31, 2018.