Casting question on the working of the esteemed Forest Research Institute based in Dehradun, the founder of the Matri Sadan Swami Shivanand demanded the National Green Tribunal to blacklist it. He said that the report issued by FRI on mining had misrepresented facts. Notably, on the demand of Matri Sadan, the tribunal had given the responsibility to FRI to conduct a survey in June.
Speaking to the media persons on Wednesday, Shivanand said that the institute had been asked to survey and give a report on whether the stones were coming from the upstream Ganga. The institute had sought a period of three years to complete the survey. As per the first report issued by the institute, the stones had come from the upstream Ganga. The report had been based on the findings from seven ghats-Bishenpur, Bhogpur, Shyampur, Rawasan 1, Rawasan 2, Chidiapur and Kotawali. The ascetic alleged that out of the seven ghats, just four are situated on the Ganga.
Further questioning the working of FRI, Shivanand said that the initial report had clearly revealed the ignorance of the survey team about the basic premises on which the survey was being conducted. He also said that the pits had been dug for survey before the monsoon season set in. “However, the order from the State Government came in June following which the survey started. There is inexplicable and the NGT should blacklist the institute immediately,” the head of Matri Sadan said.
Notably, following the National Green Tribunal order, the Van Vikas Nigam had put a blanket ban of mining in Ganga and its tributaries in February this year.
Acting on the petition filed in 2016, the directions had been issued by the NGT on February 26 this year. Meanwhile, the mining activities had started in an area spread over 1250 hectares in the name of chugan (manual mining) in November 2017 at Bhogpur, Bishenpur, Chidiapur, Shyampur and two places of Rawasan and Kotawali each. The responsibility for the same had been given to Uttarakhand Van Vikas Nigam. The matter had remained pending before the NGT for two years. The Forest Research Institute had been roped in for the NGT-ordered survey, but it had sought three years to complete the same.
Swami Shivanand on behalf of Matri Sadan has been opposing the resumption of the mining activity, stating that the mining is not being carried out as per the scientific norms, resulting in the irreparable damage to the holy river.