HSPCB seeks sales details of three shut stone crushers over ‘illegal’ operations in Yamunanagar district

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, February 25

Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has asked the authorities of Mines and Geology Department to provide details of the sale and purchase of mining minerals related to three stone crushers of Yamunanagar district.

According to the information available, the HSPCB authorities at Yamunanagar had sealed those stone crushers — situated in Rampur Khadar village — some years ago for violation of air pollution norms.

However, on a tip-off, a team of the board of Yamunanagar district headed by Abhijit Tanwar, Assistant Environment Engineer of the HSPCB, inspected those three stone crushers on January 5, 2024.

During inspection, it was found that the seals put up by the board some years ago were not present.

“Virender Singh Punia, Regional Officer of HSPCB, Yamunanagar, has recently written a letter to the Mining Officer of the Mines and Geology Department, Yamunanagar, seeking details of sale and purchase of mining minerals related to these three stone crushers,” said Abhijit Tanwar, Assistant Environment Engineer.

He further said that after getting this information, further action would be taken including launching of prosecution action against these stone crushers in Special Environment Court in Kurukshetra after approval from competent authority of the HSPCB.

He said that they had also written a letter to the Executive Engineer (Operation Division) of Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Yamunanagar, seeking compliance of the closure directions (disconnection of electricity proof) issued for power supply cut when those stone crushers had been sealed some years ago.

“The regional officer of HSPCB, Yamunanagar, has written to the Executive Engineer of the UHBVN so that we can know whether the power supply of these crushers was disconnected or not at that time,” said Abhijit Tanwar.

Seals put up earlier go missing

On Jan 5, HSPCB inspected the 3 stone crushers and found that the seals put up by the board some years ago were not present