NGT raps state over illegal mining in Ropar

Coming down heavily on the Punjab Government over illegal mining in Ropar, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed it to file complete details about the stone crushes operating in the district. The details should include crushers’ names, location, the source of raw material and electricity bills for the last one year.

The order came after Harinder Pal Singh Bedi, Chief Engineer, Mines and Geology, submitted before the NGT Bench, that stone crushers were getting raw material from adjoining states and there was no illegal mining of sand and boulders in Punjab.

The three-member Bench, headed by Justice Prakash Srivastava, further directed that to cross-check the state’s claim, it should also disclose “if interstate transportation of gravel and boulders is permitted in Punjab. If yes, the report should carry supporting documents that the source disclosed by each of the stone crushers is correct. Additionally, it should also disclose if carrying capacity for Ropar has been determined and crushers have been set up in that area after taking into account the existing carrying capacity”.

The Bench has sought the report within six months.

Observing in its earlier order of December 2022, that the state mechanism itself might be encouraging illegal mining, the NGT had directed the state government to take remedial action of suitably limiting the number of stone crushers, as per the carrying capacity of legitimate sources of raw material.

The tribunal had further directed stringent action against the stone crushers not having accountable sources of raw material. The Bench was hearing a plea, originally filed by former Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, against illegal mining in Ropar, and had questioned the 2022 District Survey Report prepared for allowing sand mining there.

In its December 2020 order, the NGT had taken note of the illegal sand mining going on in the state. It had then stated that the extent of illegal mining was more than one crore tonne, valued at over Rs 600 crore, as furnished by the statutory authorities.

“There is no effective action on the ground, except paperwork of calculating compensation. Can such situation be allowed by the authorities if the doctrines of public trust and good governance are to be followed? This should be an eye-opener for the authorities, but it seems that no attention is being paid to it,” read the order.

Punjab