Gurgaon: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Haryana to review its monitoring mechanism on illegal mining after government officials who allegedly failed to act against illegal mining in Sonipat for more than three years and submitted a false report with the court.
The order was issued in a case of mining activities which allegedly changed the direction of the Yamuna River in Sonipat.
A company that has obtained a government contract is mining in the area, but there are laws that regulate it and any activity that changes the direction of the river is illegal.
Officials of the Sonipat Ministry of Mining and the State Pollution Control Board Haryana (HSPCB) have been accused of submitting false reports with NGT claiming there are no changes in river trips or violations of the norm.
Sonipat Resident Krisan Chander has approached the court early last year allegating that DSP Associates, a mining company, transferred the natural flow of Yamuna by digging a hole in 20 feet and building the bund.
In June, NGT was looking for a factual report from HSPCB about this problem.
The Board submitted a report in October which stated that the natural flow of the river was not hampered and a separate road had been built for transportation of material mined.
The report was challenged by the applicant, after NGT which formed a committee in December to prepare a new report.
The panel handed over its report in March 2021, where he highlighted that the river was changed due to illegal mining, proving the previous report was wrong.
It is recommended that environmental compensation of Rs 1.64 Crore imposed on the company.
The committee also observed that illegal mining continued with the tiety of government officials for three years, a bund sand was illegally established, mining in the flow was carried out, and the river flow was illegally transferred.
Even so, HSPCB reported that there was no violation, he said.
In the audience on July 14, Justice NGT Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directs the Secretary of the Head Haryana to review the monitoring mechanism in the light of the facts expressed in this case.
“The principal secretary can also see the behavior of the wrong officer who failed to take action against illegal mining and gave a false report to this court before,” said the command.
The court was then directed at the Department of State Environment, along with Judge of Sonipat Regency, preparing and implementing a restoration plan for affected areas.
‘Mining changes Yamuna’ course
