Take remedial action against illegal mining in Dadam: NGT

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, January 20

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has told the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the Mining Department to take remedial action against “illegal mining” at Dadam in Bhiwani in the light of the Justice Pritam Pal’s report and its previous orders. Justice Pritam Pal’s report, dated October 13, 2021, had mentioned, “M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals has done illegal mining in the Aravalli plantation area (forest area) in 300 sq m area.”

The NGT, in its order, noted, “Study with regard to the period for which such illegal deep mining was done up to a depth of 109 m against the permissible depth of 78 m has not been completed.”

Recover cost of stone mined illegally

The committee (headed by Justice Pritam Pal) has found that illegal mining was done in the Aravalli plantation area. The Forest Department has to recover the cost of stone mined illegally and the state PCB has to impose environmental compensation. —NGT order of Jan 18

It added that in the Dadam mined area, there was no unscientific mining.

However, Justice Pritam Pal’s panel has found “damage to the Dadam distributary, illegal mining where the depth of mining pit had gone down to 200-250 ft”.

Justice Pritam Pal’s panel had made recommendations, including “specifying transport route for the vehicles, restriction on loading and transportation during the night, giving the list of permitted vehicles to the authorities, use of drone technology, regular inspections, seizure of vehicles used in illegal mining, providing geofencing on mining leased area, providing the GPS on the vehicles, checking of transport permits and more rigorous monitoring”.

For the final report, the panel was to rely on satellite imagery for fixing the time period of illegal deep mining as pits were found 109 m from the surface level and of the damage to the Dadam distributary.

In a further report submitted before the NGT, dated January 10, 2022, it is mentioned that satellite imagery maps of the Dadam stone mining site are not available. Director-General, Science and Technology Park, Pune (Maharashtra) has been approached for the same.

“The PP (project proponent) has also filed an affidavit dated October 24, 2021, to the effect that there is no bore-well or illegal extraction of groundwater. Blasting is properly controlled. Damage was caused by the previous leaseholder and there is no encroachment of forest area,” observed the NGT.

The NGT noted that the explanation of the PP that the groundwater was privately procured was a difficult to accept explanation in the absence of such private sources being identified.

“As found in the order dated July 20, 2021, and in the report of the committee, there was mining even beyond the depth of 150 m. A closure plan has not been given by the predecessor of the PP which is to be ensured by the Chief Secretary of the state. There is an order of the Mining Department dated August 5, 2020, requiring the PP to close deep mining pits,” said the NGT.

Chief Secretary has been told to furnish an action taken report related to the previous NGT order dated July 20, 2021, and also in regard to the final report of the panel.

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