After reports of brazen mining along Yamuna River in Noida, a team comprising senior officials of Environment Ministry may visit the region to ascertain the exact situation. Following the inspection, the team will gauge the damage to the environment due to rampant extraction of sand.
Sources in Noida administration said that the team will inspect the riverbed area and determine the actual loss due to illegal mining. Final report will be submitted to the Environment Ministry. The decision was stated to be taken after rampant mining along Yamuna and Hindon causing degradation of river and its surrounding areas.
However, the senior district officials expressed their ignorance about such visit by the Ministry and added that no official communiqué in this regard has been sent to the authority yet. Ashok Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer of Gautam Budh Nagar, said that they have no idea about the move of Environment Ministry as they have not received anything in written. “Though we have not been informed yet but we are ready to assist them, if they want to conduct inspection,” he said.
The City Magistrate of Noida, Sanjay Chauhan, said though his department has no such information but he welcomes and will ensure full support to this move by the Ministry.