Report on illegal mining at Dadam Hills submitted

Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, October 20

An eight-member joint committee led by Pritam Pal, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and present chairman of the monitoring committee, has submitted its interim report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the verification of facts with regard to illegal mining in the forest area and unscientific mining outside Dadam Hills in Tosham (Bhiwani) by Govardhan Mines and Minerals, Hisar.

The committee was formed by the NGT in the matter of Kuldeep Singh vs State of Haryana and others.

In its report, the committee concludes that illegal mining had been done in Aravalli plantation area (forest area). The committee also recommended that the Department of Forest shall recover the cost of the stones mined illegally.

The report states the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) will impose environmental compensation for causing damage to the ecology and ecosystem by carrying out illegal mining.

The committee also concluded that no unscientific mining had been done in the Dadam Mine area and the project proponent would continue to conduct scientific mining based on the recommendations submitted by the Department of Mines Safety.