M’garh stone crushers using groundwater illegally: Report

editorial@tribune.com

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Mahendragarh, July 29

Several stone crushing units in the district have been exploiting groundwater in violation of the directives of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), an inquiry has found out.

An inquiry report says 18 stone crushers in Nangal Choudhary and Narnaul have been extracting groundwater illegally through bore wells or tube wells in spite of being located in the “dark zone”, sources say.

A “dark zone” is defined as an area where exploitation of groundwater for the commercial purpose is not allowed.

All stone crushers located in the “dark zone” are, as per rules, bound to use treated water from a sewerage treatment plant (STP) set up on the Rewari-Narnaul road here to suppress the dust, but the inquiry has brought out that 20 stone crushers are using water from another source, the sources say.

“The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had served show cause notices on the units, asking them to submit their source of water and permission, if any, from any other sources. But only five units submitted their replies and that, too, were not satisfactory,” the sources say.

The HSPCB had initiated action for closure and revocation of consent to operate (CTO) certificates of all 20 stone crushing units.

The district authorities had recently submitted the inquiry report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in connection with a petition filed by social activist Tejpal Yadav, who accused stone crushers of using groundwater illegally.

Subsequently, the NGT had directed the district authorities to find out the source of water being used by stone crushers for commercial activities.

Yashpal, section officer, groundwater cell in Narnaul, said: “There are strict instructions for stone crushers located in the ‘dark zone’ that they must use treated water from the STP. All 18 stone crushers having bore wells or tube wells have been sealed.”

What rules say  

All stone crushers located in the “dark zone” are, as per rules, bound to use treated water from a sewerage treatment plant set up on the Rewari-Narnaul road here to suppress the dust, but the inquiry has brought out that 20 stone crushers are using water from another source.