Plug all loopholes to check illegal mining: Faridabad DC to officials

Faridabad, March 21

Pulling up officials, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) here today called for strict action to ensure the proper implementation of the rules regarding the curbs on illegal mining in the district.

At a meeting of the district task force (DTF) on Tuesday, DC Vikram Singh told officials of various departments to plug all loopholes and ensure a complete ban on illegal and unauthorised mining of materials, including river sand in the district.

Issuing instructions, he directed officials to conduct day-and-night patrolling and strict monitoring of all such activities in all sensitive areas and pockets. He said legal action in the form of challans or FIRs should be taken for overloading, and the progress and monitoring report should be submitted on a regular basis to his office.

A report regarding alleged illegal sand mining had appeared in the columns of The Tribune today.

The DC, who heads the DTF, reviewed the action taken into the incidents of illegal mining and the action taken by the DTF in the past one month. The task force comprises officials of departments like the police, mining, RTA, forest, pollution control and the administrative wings.

He said besides curbing the unauthorised mining, no illegal crushing of stones should be allowed in any part of the district.

The DC reviewed in detail the action taken by the Police Department and ordered proper guidelines and instructions to officials of the Police Department for the better implementation of the rules regarding mining. He said there was also a need for the regular monitoring of the licence and activities of the authorised crusher zones.

Ordering the submission of a report of the action taken on illegal mining under Sections 4 and 5 of 6 PLPA to the DFO, he said strict vigilance should be exercised and stringent action taken against illegal mining and overloading.

He said detailed information about the registration of cases, outposts and vehicles caught while transporting illegal mining material and the recovery of fines in the form of environmental compensation should be provided.

SDM Faridabad, SDM Badkhal, SDM Ballabgarh, Secretary RTA, senior police officials, District Mining Officer and Regional Officer, Pollution Control Board, were among those who attended the meeting.