No mining within 10 km from boundaries of national parks: HC to U’khand govt

The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday directed the state government to ensure that there was no mining within 10 km from boundaries of national wildlife parks in the state without nod of the National Wildlife Board

Published on: Jun 13, 2018, 21:59:42 IST

Hindustan Times, Dehradun | By Neeraj Santoshi

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The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday directed the state government to ensure that there was no mining within 10 km from boundaries of national wildlife parks in the state without nod of the National Wildlife Board.

The direction was given by the division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh while disposing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Ayub from Haridwar in 2014.

Chetan Joshi, counsel of the petitioner, said the petition had raised the issue of mining of minor minerals within 10 km of Rajaji National Park.

The petition pointed out that in 2002, a decision was taken under the wildlife conservation strategy to declare the area/land falling within 10 km of boundary of national parks and bird sanctuaries as eco-sensitive areas/eco-fragile zones under section 3 of the Environment (Protection ) Act 1986.

According to the petitioner, the areas adjoining Rajaji national park that have been leased out fall within 10 km range. Some even falls under the buffer zone of the park. The leased areas in Motichur Elephant Reserve also fall within 10 km range.

The petition alleged that authorities concerned had granted environmental clearance within 10 km range of the park without making it compulsory to the lessees to seek the permission of the National Wildlife Board.

According to the petition, in the specific condition listed out in the environmental clearance of the lessees, it has been stated that within a year, a study report has to be submitted through the mines and geology department related to the replenishment and quantity of the mineral removed.

“But no such study has been carried out till date. This study should have been carried out prior to the grant of the environmental clearance and not made mandatory to be carried out after grant of clearance,” the petition said.

Rajaji National Park -- located near the foothills of the Himalayas and spread over 820 sq km in Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal districts -- was declared a tiger reserve in April 2015, becoming the second such reserve in the state after Corbett.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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