Mining in Yamuna: Joint panel to submit report to National Green Tribunal by March 20

Tribune News Service

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, March 11

On the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a joint committee of officers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the Centre visited Belgarh village in Yamunanagar district to look into complaints of illegal mining in the Yamuna riverbed. The panel has to file its report before the NGT by March 20, the next date of hearing in this case.

A Yamunanagar resident, Jahangir, had lodged a complaint before the NGT in 2021 alleging that unscientific and illegal mining was being carried out by a mining firm of Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) in the Yamuna, obstructing the flow of the river and causing damage to environment and air pollution.

Jahangir had alleged that though the mining lease was only for an area in Saharanpur district, the lessee undertook illegal mining in Belgarh village of Haryana too. As per a report by the Yamunanagar district administration, Google imaging showed that the distance between the illegally mined site and the contract area of the firm was 300 metres. In its report filed before the NGT on January 21 this year, the district administration said that illegal mining was reported in khasra numbers 19/20 and 20/13 at Belgarh village on the Haryana-UP border. The reply also mentioned that due to “excessive flow of water in the river, the team of Yamunanagar administration could not reach the site”. But on account of illegal mining identified in the said khasra numbers, an FIR was lodged at Pratap Nagar police station of Yamunanagar on June 3, 2021. Action was also initiated against the investigation officer for failing to take remedial steps.

Passing an order on January 25, 2023, NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Professor A Senthil Vel said they had constituted a 10-member joint committee to be headed by an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary, nominated by the Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, to ascertain factual position of the illegal mining at Belgarh village. Naresh Kumar, Assistant Environment Engineer, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Yamunanagar, said, “A joint committee conducted a site visit to Belgarh village on Friday to inquire into the case of illegal mining related to the Yamuna.”

Contract for UP, mining in Haryana

• A Yamunanagar resident had filed a complaint regarding illegal mining in the Yamuna riverbed
• He alleged accused firm had contract for UP, but it was doing illegal mining 300 metres away in Haryana
• NGT formed a joint panel of Centre, Haryana, UP governments to look into the case

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