Gurgaon: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to prepare within two months SOPs for initiating environmental damage compensation on anyone involved in illegal mining in the Aravalis, saying there is “no valid justification” for not coming out with the guidelines for so long.
It also asked Mukul Kumar, the director of mining and geology department, member secretary Pradeep Singh of the pollution board and a representative of the state police chief to be present at the next hearing on January 9 “for assisting this tribunal in just and proper adjudication of the questions involved in the case”.
“In the interim report, there is no mention as to initiation of proceedings for imposition on and realisation of environmental damage compensation from all persons involved in illegal mining throughout the State of Haryana, including Aravali. It may be observed here that the proceedings for imposition and realization of environmental damage compensation do not originate from and are not dependent on criminal proceedings. There is no valid justification for not initiating the same,” the order by judicial magistrate Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad said.
“The HSPCB is directed to prepare SOP for the same and issue instructions within two months from the receipt of a copy of this order to all its regional officers for initiating and concluding the proceedings for imposition of environmental compensation in all cases of illegal mining and transportation in accordance with law within two months. Aravali Rejuvenation Action Plan for reclamation/rehabilitation of the land illegally mined in the Aravali region be also prepared and filed within two months,” it added.
Although the order was issued on December 11, it was uploaded on the NGT portal this Sunday. The tribunal was hearing a petition by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, alleging rampant quarrying of stones in the protected region despite a blanket ban on mining imposed by the Supreme Court in 2009.
The NGT also directed the mining department to ensure that all vehicles transporting materials to stone crushers or screening plants in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Nuh are equipped with GPS devices by February 28 next year.
“Vehicles without GPS shall not be allowed to carry any minor minerals in all the three districts of Faridabad, Gurgaon and Nuh to any destination, including the stone crushers or screening plants. The route of the vehicle from source to destination can be tracked through the system using checkpoints, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking. The requisite facilities be provided, systems be installed and control room/monitoring station be set up for this purpose accordingly,” the order read.
An HSPCB official said they would soon work out details on ways to impose environmental compensation on illegal miners not just in the Aravalis but in the state too.
“We will work in keeping with the directions of the NGT and submit our SOPs by the next date of hearing,” the official told TOI.
Quarrying of sand and stones became all the more lucrative with the flourishing of the real estate industry in the region. But it has threatened the Haryana Aravalis with the same fate as that of large parts of the hills in Rajasthan that have been flattened by mining over the years. The hills are the only barrier stopping the expansion of the desert from Rajasthan towards the urban sprawl of north India, including Delhi-NCR.
In November last year, a committee set up by the NGT had said there were 38 illegal mining sites in the Aravalis of Gurgaon and Nuh, based on FIRs filed over the years. Some of these, it had said, had fresh signs of stone quarrying.
On July 17, the government informed the tribunal it had formed the Aravalli Rejuvenation Board to deal with complaints on illegal mining and protecting the hills.
It also asked Mukul Kumar, the director of mining and geology department, member secretary Pradeep Singh of the pollution board and a representative of the state police chief to be present at the next hearing on January 9 “for assisting this tribunal in just and proper adjudication of the questions involved in the case”.
“In the interim report, there is no mention as to initiation of proceedings for imposition on and realisation of environmental damage compensation from all persons involved in illegal mining throughout the State of Haryana, including Aravali. It may be observed here that the proceedings for imposition and realization of environmental damage compensation do not originate from and are not dependent on criminal proceedings. There is no valid justification for not initiating the same,” the order by judicial magistrate Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad said.
“The HSPCB is directed to prepare SOP for the same and issue instructions within two months from the receipt of a copy of this order to all its regional officers for initiating and concluding the proceedings for imposition of environmental compensation in all cases of illegal mining and transportation in accordance with law within two months. Aravali Rejuvenation Action Plan for reclamation/rehabilitation of the land illegally mined in the Aravali region be also prepared and filed within two months,” it added.
Although the order was issued on December 11, it was uploaded on the NGT portal this Sunday. The tribunal was hearing a petition by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, alleging rampant quarrying of stones in the protected region despite a blanket ban on mining imposed by the Supreme Court in 2009.
The NGT also directed the mining department to ensure that all vehicles transporting materials to stone crushers or screening plants in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Nuh are equipped with GPS devices by February 28 next year.
“Vehicles without GPS shall not be allowed to carry any minor minerals in all the three districts of Faridabad, Gurgaon and Nuh to any destination, including the stone crushers or screening plants. The route of the vehicle from source to destination can be tracked through the system using checkpoints, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking. The requisite facilities be provided, systems be installed and control room/monitoring station be set up for this purpose accordingly,” the order read.
An HSPCB official said they would soon work out details on ways to impose environmental compensation on illegal miners not just in the Aravalis but in the state too.
“We will work in keeping with the directions of the NGT and submit our SOPs by the next date of hearing,” the official told TOI.
Quarrying of sand and stones became all the more lucrative with the flourishing of the real estate industry in the region. But it has threatened the Haryana Aravalis with the same fate as that of large parts of the hills in Rajasthan that have been flattened by mining over the years. The hills are the only barrier stopping the expansion of the desert from Rajasthan towards the urban sprawl of north India, including Delhi-NCR.
In November last year, a committee set up by the NGT had said there were 38 illegal mining sites in the Aravalis of Gurgaon and Nuh, based on FIRs filed over the years. Some of these, it had said, had fresh signs of stone quarrying.
On July 17, the government informed the tribunal it had formed the Aravalli Rejuvenation Board to deal with complaints on illegal mining and protecting the hills.