Probe panel endorses Durga’s action against illegal sand mining
9 Aug 2013 11:06 PM GMT
While endorsing the action of Durga Shakti Nagpal against illegal sand mining, a probe panel of the Union environment ministry has found that mining activities in the Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh were being carried out in clear violation of the environment law and none of the miners had applied for clearance either to the central ministry or the state authorities.
The three-member panel, which visited mining sites and interacted with local authorities during the past two days, is learnt to have prepared its inquiry report with the help of inputs provided by the ministry’s Lucknow-based regional office.
Sources said that the probe panel has favoured booking all the illegal sand miners under relevant section of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 having provisions of punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine up to Rs 1 lakh or with both.
‘Scrutiny of records showed that none of the miners had ever applied for environment clearance which is mandatory for any mining activity in the country as per the February, 2012 order of the Supreme Court’, said an official.
The report will be submitted to the ministry on Friday. It will subsequently be submitted to the national green tribunal.
The three-member panel, which visited mining sites and interacted with local authorities during the past two days, is learnt to have prepared its inquiry report with the help of inputs provided by the ministry’s Lucknow-based regional office.
Sources said that the probe panel has favoured booking all the illegal sand miners under relevant section of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 having provisions of punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to five years or with fine up to Rs 1 lakh or with both.
‘Scrutiny of records showed that none of the miners had ever applied for environment clearance which is mandatory for any mining activity in the country as per the February, 2012 order of the Supreme Court’, said an official.
The report will be submitted to the ministry on Friday. It will subsequently be submitted to the national green tribunal.
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