E-Paper
NGT slaps ₹18.7-cr fine on 3 firms for illegal sand mining in Yamunanagar
The firms that were allotted lease for mining at various sites along the Yamuna in Yamunagar district in 2015 were found guilty of illegal mining, diversion of river flow and use of heavy machinery in violation of the environmental clearance conditions
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slapped a fine of ₹18.7 crore on three firms for illegal sand mining and environmental violations in Yamunanagar.
In its order, issued on November 18, 2022, the tribunal imposed a fine of ₹12 crore on Mohali based M/s Mubarikpur Royalty Company, and ₹4.2 crore on M/s Delhi Royalty Company and ₹2.5 crore on M/s Development Strategies India Private Limited, both based in Yamunanagar district itself.
The order of the NGT bench, comprising chairperson justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial member justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, came following a report by an NGT-appointed monitoring committee led by justice Pritam Pal (retired).
The firms that were allotted lease for mining at various sites along the Yamuna in the district in 2015 were found guilty of illegal mining, diversion of river flow and use of heavy machinery in violation of the environmental clearance conditions.
“….the violations include failure to implement progressive mine closure plan, mining beyond the permitted depth, no measures for rehabilitation of the land on which mining undertaken. The mining firms did not develop green belt, not erect necessary boundary pillars, not installed CCTV cameras, not maintain roads for transportation of mined material and did not show GPS systems on the minig/transportation vehicles. Illegal screening plant was found within the premises….Mining was illegally done by use of JCB (earth moving machine)…(sic),” the tribunal observed.
At Kohliwala village in Chhachhrauli block, where Delhi Royalty Company was allotted a 13.59-hectare site, the committee found that the firm undertook mining beyond permissible limit of 9-metre depth and continued mining even after expiry of the lease, besides using groundwater brought in tankers in place of treated sewage water for settling dust at mining site.
Similarly, in Bailgarh village of the same block, where Mubarikpur Royalty Company was allotted 28 hectares, the committee found that the firm was undertaking mining by not maintaining a distance of 500 metres from the active edge of the embankment of Yamuna river.
Development Strategies India Private Limited was allotted 23.05 hectares at Pobari village in Radaur block. Here the committee found that boundary pillars at mining lease area were not adequate, there was no barrier of 7.5 metre, no CCTV cameras were installed, mining was undertaken 250 metres from active embankment of Yamuna, weigh bridge was not provided, condition of road was not good and natural flow of Yamuna river was diverted to extract more quantity of sand, etc.
According to the tribunal’s order, the fine has to be deposited with the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, and will be utilised for restoration of the environment by preparing and executing an action plan in consultation with the district magistrate.
