E-Paper
Increase production of eco-friendly M-sand: U.P. CM to officials
He also said instead of extracting soil from fertile land for brick production, alternative sources should be identified for brick manufacturing in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed officials to increase production of manufactured sand (M-sand) to minimise adverse environmental impact on rivers. M-sand is artificial sand produced from crushing hard stones.
He also said instead of extracting soil from fertile land for brick production, alternative sources should be identified for brick manufacturing in Uttar Pradesh. The operators of brick kilns should be encouraged to opt for alternate source, the CM said.
Yogi gave these directions at a high-level meeting with the officials of the geology and mining department on Thursday to review the functioning of the department and provided necessary directions. To speed up development projects, eco-friendly M-sand should be made an alternative to sand/maurang (coarse sand). Its will reduce the load on other minerals, the CM said.
The mining department officers informed the chief minister that 19 blocks of phosphorite, potash, iron, platinum group, gold metal, sillimanite, andalusite and limestone were ready for auction in the state. The officers further said during the 2022-23 fiscal, the state produced 6,762 lakh cubic metres of minor minerals thereby generating revenue of ₹3367.26 crore.
In the first quarter of the 2023-24 financial year, revenue collection stood at ₹1093.6 crore, which was 95.6% higher as compared to the revenue in the corresponding period the previous year, showing an increase of ₹356.6 crore, they added.
The contribution of minor minerals in the state’s mining revenue was 70 per cent of which resources like ordinary sand, coarse sand (maurang), grit and boulders contributed approximately 91%, the officers said. The CM said, “The work of dredging the state’s rivers has been completed in compliance with the orders of the National Green Tribunal. It will not only solve the problem of floods but also help in channelising the rivers.”
He directed the mining and irrigation departments to prepare a comprehensive action plan together. Yogi stressed the need for increasing mining leases in the state. He instructed the concerned authorities, including the chief secretary, the infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, the additional chief secretary (forest) and the principal secretary (mining) to make serious efforts in providing environmental no objection certificates (NOCs) promptly.
He also directed them to take stringent action against illegal mining and make the Integrated Mining Surveillance System more effective. The 39 checkpoints in various bordering districts of the state should use technical means to monitor the transportation of minerals, such as sand, coarse sand, boulders and others, to ensure proper handling during transportation, the CM said.
Overloading must be strictly prohibited and the number of checkpoints should be increased, he added. The officers were also directed to determine the prices of minerals based on market rates. “They should make necessary changes in policies for the auction of major mining blocks. The process for approving new storage facilities in the state should be simplified. The storage period for different minor minerals should be determined separately,” he said.
