Criminal nexus: Haryana Mining Dept didn't act despite report

Tribune News Service

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, September 28

Unscientific mining led to the landslide which crushed five workers to death and injured three others on January 1 this year at the Dadam mining site in Bhiwani. The lessee company, Govardhan Mines, has been charged with extraction of mineral beyond the permitted quota and blamed for violating the conditions laid down to undertake mining in the area.

The nine-member committee constituted by the Haryana Government under the chairmanship of former IAS officer SS Prasad to hold an inquiry into the January 1 incident has pointed out these violations in its report submitted to the government last week. However, the report makes no mention of officers or officials who failed to carry out checks at the site to ascertain if the norms were being adhered to. Sources said the lessee, as per the mining plan, was required to maintain a slope of 70 degrees while undertaking mining at the site where the rock is “heavily fractured and weathered”. However, a study conducted at the spot revealed that the lessee had gone nearly vertical and the slopes ranged from 75 to 80 degrees, which contributed to the circumstances leading to the landslide.

Further, he was supposed to form benches (steps) while carrying out mining in the zone to provide stability to the rock. However, this condition, too, was violated. The report, the sources maintain, suggests that this resulted in a landslide and more than the permissible stock of mineral was extracted. The report suggests penalising the lessee for the extra mineral extracted at the Dadam mines. The sources said the 53-page report specified that the lessee carried out mining in nearly 6,020 sq yd beyond the area assigned to him, according to the survey carried out by the state Mines and Geology Department. However, the report by the DC, Bhiwani, pegs this “additional area” at 6,732 sq yd. The committee has suggested that the exact area should be ascertained and penalty levied. Also, the mandatory green belt was not maintained at the site.

It has also been suggested that an area of just over five hectares at the mining spot was “highly vulnerable” because of the lay of the land and mining activities should be carried out only after clearances from the DG, Mines and Safety, Ghaziabad. No evidence to substantiate the lesssee’s claim that a rock, weighing nearly 11,000 metric tonnes, had rolled down to cause the accident was found at the spot.

Unscientific mining led to Dadam deaths

A team that visited Dadam site said there was danger to life of persons employed in pit No. 37 & 38, but the dept did not act; unscientific mining led to 5 deaths in Dadam

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