Experts gauge effect of mining on agriculture land & riverbeds, visit Yamunanagar villages

Tribune News Service

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, March 8

Experts of different departments visited the villages of Jaidhar and Mandewala in Yamunanagar district to study the impact of mining on agriculture land and riverbeds.

The study is being carried out in compliance with an order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 18, 2023, and January 11, 2024, in the case of Harbans Singh and the state, among others.

NGT order

• The study is being carried out in compliance with an order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 18, 2023, and January 11, 2024, in the case of Harbans Singh and the state, among others
• Singh of Yamunanagar had lodged a complaint with the NGT to stop any mining activity on the fertile agricultural lands in the two villages here
• The state government is supposed to file a reply to the NGT by March 21

Harbans Singh of Yamunanagar had lodged a complaint with the NGT to stop any mining activity on the fertile agricultural lands in the two villages here.

The state government is supposed to file a reply to the NGT by March 21, which is the next date of hearing in the case.

As per information, a committee and joint committee have been formed on the directions of the NGT in connection with the case.

The committee includes members of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), state Mines and Geology Department; Town and Country Planning Department and some other departments of the state government. The departments will provide information to the HSPCB to prepare a report in the case.

However, the joint committee will study and prepare a report of the impact of mining on the agriculture land and riverbeds.

HSPCB (Yamunanagar) Assistant Environment Engineer Abhijeet Singh Tanwar said a joint committee had visited the two villages on March 5.

It comprised HSPCB Member Secretary Pardeep Kumar, CPCB (Chandigarh) Regional Director Gurnam Singh, RRS (Karnal) Regional Director Dr Rajbir Garg, CSSRI (Karnal) Principal Scientist (soil science) Dr Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj, IARI (New Delhi) Principal Scientist Dr Manoj Shrivastav, ICAR-IISWC (Chandigarh) Principal Scientist Dr Pankaj, Prof (Dr) DP Malik, Head Department of Agriculture at CCSHAU (Hisar) and HSPCB (Yamunanagar) Regional Officer Virender Punia, among other officials.

“The members of the committee and joint committee visited Jaidhar and Mandewala villages on March 5. Both committees will prepare their reports to submit them in the NGT,” said AEE Abhijeet Singh Tanwar.

He said there were legal mining quarries in the villages, but no mining activity was being carried out there at present.

According to sources, residents of Jaidhar village told the joint committee members that the groundwater level in the village was extremely high, thus mining should not be allowed there. However, according to sources, most people didn’t oppose the mining activity in Mandewala village.

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