Illegal mining in Muzaffarnagar: NGT issues notices to CPCB, forms panel to ascertain truth

The National Green Tribunal has issued notices to the Central Pollution Control Board and three others over alleged illegal sand mining in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

The NGT also formed a panel and asked it to submit a report revealing the true state of affairs, the extent of illegal mining and the people responsible for it.

The tribunal was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report which said some contractors were carrying out illegal sand mining in Nanglarai village.

The report said pits around 30 feet deep were created because of the unauthorised mining, overloaded vehicles transporting sand had damaged crops in and also destroyed a bund (check dam) created to prevent flooding.

A bench of NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said the news report raised a ''substantial issue'' relating to compliance with environmental rules. In an order passed on Tuesday, the bench sought replies from the member secretaries of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), District Magistrate (DM), Muzaffarnagar and the regional officer, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) ''Let notice be issued to the above respondents for filing their response at least one week before the next date of hearing (April 24),'' the tribunal said.

It constituted a joint committee comprising the member secretary of CPCB and the DM of Muzaffarnagar.

''The joint committee will visit the site, ascertain the true state of affairs existing there and the extent of illegal mining and persons responsible for the same and submit the status report at least one week before the next date of hearing,'' the tribunal said.

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