The National Green Tribunal (NGT) rapped the Meghalaya Government for not furnishing facts related to the coal mine accident in Garo Hills in 2012, in which 15 persons had been trapped.
“You come out with the truth or we will dig it out,” the Tribunal warned the Meghalaya Government after the latter stated that the 15 persons could have escaped as no bodies were found.
While hearing the case related to Meghalaya Government, NGT expressed dissatisfaction with the stand of the State saying that it was considering hearing the matter in Meghalaya in order to find out the actual facts. The bench questioned, when the mine was being flooded with water from an adjacent mine and there was only one entry point or outlet, where did the 15 persons trapped inside goIJ
It also termed as shocking, the delay by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in submitting its final report on the incident, even after a year. The Tribunal was hearing a petition which contends there is a threat to life due to the coal mining activity in South Garo Hills district.
In another case, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh Government on the issue of illegal sand mining in River Yamuna saying it was shocked by its action of arresting mere truck drivers instead of owners of the vehicles.
In case of UP, the bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, observed, “You have not touched a single person who owns the trucks, dumpers or heavy excavating machinery... It shocks us that you have picked up the drivers. Can't the State be fair ever,” the bench said in relation to the names of 18 people, allegedly carrying out illegal sand mining in Gautam Buddh Nagar district that the State Government had submitted.
The Tribunal directed the SSP and other senior officials of the district to appear before it on October 9. The 18 people who had had been showcaused earlier have been directed to appear before the Tribunal to explain why they be not punished as well as made to pay compensation for damaging the environment by violating the August 5 ban by NGT on illegal sand mining.
Jolt to States !
NGT expressed dissatisfaction with the stand of the State saying that it was considering to hear the matter in Meghalaya in order to find out the actual facts
The bench questioned, when the mine was being flooded with water from an adjacent mine and there was only one entry point or outlet, where did the 15 persons trapped inside goIJ
You have not touched a single person who owns the trucks, dumpers or heavy excavating machinery... It shocks us that you have picked up the drivers
The 18 people who had had been showcaused earlier have been directed to appear before the Tribunal