The Uttar Pradesh Government on Thursday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has registered nine FIRs against 18 people engaged in large-scale illegal mining of sand and its removal from river Yamuna while seizing their vehicles and heavy machinery.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to all the 18 individuals directing them to be present before it on the next date of hearing, and show cause as to why they should not be punished in accordance with law as well as made to pay compensation for damaging and degrading the environment by interfering with the river flow through their illegal activities.
The bench has also directed all States and Union Territories to formulate a uniform policy for checking illegal mining of sand and removal of sand across the country.
It observed that the assistance of Ministry of Environment (MoEF) would be material in framing such a policy, the bench directed the MoEF to place before it complete and comprehensive guidelines for controlling and preventing illegal and indiscriminate mining on river beds.
The MoEF was directed to prepare the guidelines and place them before the Bench by the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Government was also directed to submit an action taken report on two lakh cubic metre of sand seized by the mining department till date, of which 80 per cent has been stolen.