The State government has decided to attach the properties and bank accounts of owners of illegal stone quarries and stone crushing units if they fail to pay the environmental compensation.
It may be mentioned that the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has given sufficient time to the illegal boulder mines and unauthorised crusher units to pay the environmental compensation but most of them failed to comply with the directive.
A meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Donald P. Wahlang on August 4 has decided to give the owners of these units 14 days’ time to pay the environmental compensation failing which their properties and bank accounts will be attached.
In compliance with the order of the National Green Tribunal on April 5, 2023 in connection with the petition filed by Jitul Deka, the State government has formed a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to formulate modalities for expeditious recovery of environmental compensation amounting to Rs 139,39,32,8131 from the illegal stone crushers and stone quarry units in Ri-Bhoi District.
The authorities have in 2020 seized and closed down more than 70 illegal stone crushers and stone quarry units in the border villages of Ri-Bhoi which included Umtyrnga, Barapathar, Baridua, Rani Jirang, Chibra, Maikhuli and Kiling.
Various notices was served to the owners of these illegal stone quarries and crushers after the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board had issued a notice for imposition of environmental compensation as per the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on illegal stone crusher units and stone quarries located in the district.
It may be mentioned that the State government had earlier imposed a fine of Rs 153 crore on 133 illegal stone quarries and crushers in the State.
In the first week of August 2021, the National Green Tribunal’s eastern zone bench had asked the Meghalaya government to file an affidavit against illegal stone crushers and stone quarries so that environmental compensation could be recovered from 133 stone quarries units operating illegally in the State.
