Green Tribunal Bans Sand Mining Without Clearance Neha Sethi August 05, 2013 livemint/Politics/lor7YfKMp389ZqAWzFU9IM/Green-tribunal-bans-sand-mining-without-clearance.html The tribunal directed deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and mining authorities in all states to ensure compliance with its order. The order comes as a controversy is growing over the Uttar Pradesh government’s suspension of Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who had conducted a drive against the sand mafia in the state. Photo: HT The National Green Tribunal on Monday banned mining or removal of sand from river beds without an environmental clearance from the environment ministry. The bench headed by tribunal chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said mining cannot be carried out without obtaining a “license from the competent authorities”. “Besides violations of law, the mining activity is being carried out on a large scale, causing state revenue loss which may be running into lakhs of crores of rupees,” the order by the green court said. The order comes as a controversy is growing over the Uttar Pradesh government’s suspension of Indian Administrative Service officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who had conducted a drive against the sand mafia in the state. The tribunal directed deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and mining authorities in all states to ensure compliance with its order. The green court’s order came in response to a petition that pointed to large-scale illegal mining activity on the banks of Yamuna, Ganga, Chambal, Gomti and Revati rivers, among others. “This removal of minerals from the river beds is causing serious threat to the flow of the river, forests upon river bank and most seriously to the environment of these areas,” the petition had said. “It is further contended that in terms of the orders of the hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the case of Deepak Kumar vs State of Haryana, even the person carrying on mining activity in less than 5 hectares, are expected to take EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) clearance from MoEF (ministry of environment and forests)/SEIAA (State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority),” the order added. The apex court had said that sand mining on either side of upstream and in-stream rivers is one of the causes for environmental degradation and a threat to biodiversity, the green court said.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 17:38:15 +0000
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