The three-member committee set up by the Environment Ministry to ascertain the factual position of illegal sand mining has found “rampant, unscientific and illegal mining going on at various locations in Gautam Budh Nagar District along the Yamuna River”.
The committee has also given photographic evidence of the unchecked illegal mining and environmental degradation due to it.The Ministry had on August 6 set up the panel following the controversy over the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal for her crackdown on the sand mining mafia. The report of the committee, which was put on a three-day deadline to give its findings, was made public on Saturday.
The committee made an inspection of seven different sites in the district. Interestingly, at Gaddi-Samastipur Village, the committee found that the excavated areas were filled up with pumped in water, which villagers and schoolchildren of the area said was not there till late on August 6, the day the panel was set up, or even early on August 7.
Sand mining was also found to be rampant along Yamuna Bridge (Zuppa Village) on Hamidpur — Palwal Road, Jewar; Mamnathal village (confluence of river Yamuna and Hindon), Yakutpur and Kundli village. No mining activity was, however, found near Hindon Bridge.
The committee was headed by Saroj, Director, MoEF and had GC Meena, Deputy Collector of Mines and in-charge of the Dehra Dun office of the Indian Bureau of Mines, and KK Garg, Director of the lucknow regional office of the Environment Ministry, as members.
The committee, in its findings concluded that such rampant sand mining is in violation of the environmental regulations, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and the directives of the Supreme Court, Allahabad High Court and the National Green Tribunal.
It has called the State Governments to frame Minor Mineral Concession Rules within a period of six months and submit their compliance report. It has suggested regular monitoring of the mining activities by the State to ensure effective compliance of environmental norms.
It has further said that in the case of mining leases for riverbed sand mining, specific river stretches should be identified and mining permits/lease should be granted stretch wise so that the requisite safeguard measures are duly implemented and are effectively monitored by the respective regulatory authorities.
It has said “no” to in-stream mining as it affects the aquatic life. In case a State Government wishes to undertake in-stream mining it has to get a study done by a recognised institution to examine the impact of mining on plankton, benthic flora and fauna, turbidity downstream and other related environmental parameters.