NGT takes note of 'Tribune' reports on Aravallis, seeks reply from state

Taking cognisance of two reports of 'The Tribune' highlighting Aravalli’s environmental crises, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Haryana, seeking answers. The tribunal took suo motu note of the articles — ‘Mining mafia brings down another Aravalli hill’ and ‘Toxic kilns pollute Aravallis: Wildlife, locals suffer’ — and initiated a case and scheduled the next hearing for February 5.

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The NGT has asked the State Pollution Control Board, Rajasthan Pollution Control Board and the Forest and Environment ministries of both states to file their response through affidavits within a week.

It observed that the articles indicated the violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act and Biological Diversity Act.

When contacted, Haryana Forest Minister Rao Narbir said the office was yet to receive the notice, but once received, the department would act as per the law. The Rajasthan Forest Department, too, claimed that they were yet to get the notice.

'The Tribune' had highlighted how a blast by the mining mafia had led to the collapse of a hillock of the protected range at Rava village in Nuh. Haryana claimed that the hillock fell in the revenue limits of Rajasthan, and after registering an FIR, ordered a geo-spatial survey of the region to classify Haryana and Rajasthan hills. Rajasthan registered an FIR identifying the key accused miners, though no arrest has been made so far.

The other report related to the environmental challenges faced by the Aravalli region, particularly near Tauru region along the Rajasthan-Haryana border, due to the proliferation of illegal scrap kilns. Despite repeated assurances, no stringent action has been taken.