Centre sets 3-week deadline for Uttarakhand to stop sand mining

Setting a three-week deadline for the Uttarakhand government, environment minister Jairam Ramesh today warned if it did not stop illegal sand mining in the Ganges by then, action would be taken under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act.

"The Uttarakhand government has (so far) demonstrated reluctance to take action against illegal mining. We will have no option but to invoke Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act and take action on our own," Ramesh said. Section 5 of the Act gives the Centre "power to direct the closure, prohibition or regulation of any industry".

The Union minister, who was here to launch a new green technology, said the Centre had written to the Uttarakhand government, asking it to stop the illegal sand mining in the stretches of Ganga river. "We have, however, not received any response till date," he said. Ramesh warned Centre would stop the mining in the river if there was no reply within three weeks.