The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zone has asked the Meghalaya government to file an affidavit within two months on the action taken against illegal stone miners and stone crushers in the State.
The order was issued on a plea filed by Jitul Deka raising the issue of rampant, unauthorised illegal mining in Meghalaya, particularly in Ri-Bhoi District.
The NGT bench comprising Justice Amit Sthalekar and expert member Saibal Dasgupta in an order passed on August 2 sought an affidavit within two months on the action taken against illegal stone miners and stone crushers.
It also constituted a committee to inquire and submit a report on the environmental degradation caused to water bodies in Guwahati as a result of muck disposal from stone crushing quarries in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
The committee comprises senior scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Regional Office in Shillong, Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) and a professor from IIT Guwahati, Department of Civil Engineering.
“The committee shall look into the issue of muck disposal from the stone quarries of Meghalaya into the Guwahati city and its surroundings,” the NGT bench said.
Besides assessing the amount of muck disposed due to illegal stone quarries, the committee will also look into damage to land and water bodies, compensation on account of degradation and remedial measures for restoration of the environment.
The MSPCB will be the nodal office for filing the report of the committee and for all logistic purposes, the NGT said.
Advocates Sanjay Upadhyay and Salik Shafique, appearing for the petitioner, told the NGT bench that several persons named as illegal miners by the Meghalaya government have not been shown at all in its status report and it needs to be determined as to the identity of these people.
The two lawyers informed the NGT bench that all these illegalities were being carried out under the nose of the District Magistrate, Ri Bhoi and, therefore, the concerned District Magistrate should also be held answerable and at least a direction should be given to the Meghalaya government to take appropriate disciplinary action.
Recently, the Meghalaya government had told the NGT that it has imposed a fine of Rs 153 crore on 133 illegal stone quarries, crushers and mining units in the State.
“The total number of units against which environmental compensation has been levied and recoveries under process are 133 in number. That a total amount of Rs 1,53,27,44,063 is payable by the legal and illegal miners..,” the State government had told the NGT.
The State government had also informed that levy and recovery of compensation are ongoing and are being taken up on utmost priority, and joint teams consisting of representatives of district administration, police, forest and environment departments and the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) have been constituted to carry out continuous day-and-night patrolling.
“The State government is taking all steps to ensure prompt recovery of the environmental compensation levied by the MSPCB. That during the Covid-19 pandemic, the resources of small states such as Meghalaya are being stressed, however, bona fide efforts have been made and have resulted in substantial controlling of the menace of illegal mining in Ri Bhoi district,” the State government had told NGT.
“The State government has acted promptly and has been proactive in carrying out inspection and sealing unauthorised and illegal mining activities and initiating appropriate prosecutions including measures of recovery for compensation,” it had said.
The State government had also stated that it has not granted any clearance contrary to the applicable law and therefore the contentions raised by the petitioner are contrary to the factual position, it had said.
