Shut illegal mining units in 48 hours, SC tells Rajashtan

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 23

The Rajasthan Government on Tuesday invited the wrath of the Supreme Court which ordered it to shut down illegal mining units in the state within 48 hours after it came to light that 31 of the 128 hillocks in the state's Aravalli areas disappeared.

"What is happening in Rajasthan? Humans seem to be flying away with hills just like Hanuman," a Bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta wondered after perusing a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report submitted to it. 

The Bench ordered the Rajasthan Chief Secretary to file a compliance affidavit by Friday and posted the matter for further hearing on October 29. As the Bench expressed shock over rampant illegal mining, the Rajasthan Government counsel did not dispute disappearance of hillocks. The Bench — which had sought a response to the FSI report from the state government — said it was forced to issue directions as it was not satisfied with the state's affidavit. 

Though Rajasthan was earning a royalty of around Rs 5,000 crore from mining activities in Aravalli, it cannot endanger the lives of lakhs of people in Delhi as the disappearance of hills there could be one of the reasons for the rise in pollution level in the national capital region (NCR), it said. “Hills act as barriers. If you start removing them the pollution from there will enter Delhi. For the sake of a minority in your state you are endangering the lives of lakhs of people living in Delhi,” said Justice Lokur.

“For royalty you (Rajasthan) are putting Delhi residents at a risk. Since you admit that there is illegal mining in your state, give your royalty to the people of Delhi. Hospitals are overcrowded here,” the Bench said.  The Rajasthan Government admitted illegal mining in over 115 hectares in Rajasthan, but contested the FSI survey accusing it of carrying out inspection without consulting the local authorities.