Chg cancels NOC of mining project in reservoir catchment area

The Chhattisgarh Government today announced cancellation of an NOC granted to a limestone mining project of a private player in the catchment area of a reservoir in Raipur district.
Making the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, the Agriculture and Water Resource Department Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said the government was cancelling the NOC, issued on January 3, for allotting a mining lease to facilitate limestone mining in the catchment area of Pt Lakhanlal Mishra (Pendraon) reservoir at Bangoli-Mura village.
He stated the government was committed not to diminish even an acre of irrigation land from Pendraon.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) had given the NoC for the UltraTech Cement's project, located across four villages in Tilda block ofRaipur district.

Recently, villagers had launched a protest demanding cancellation of the permission.
"The state government is committed not to diminish even an acre of irrigation land from Pendraon. Therefore,the NoC sanctioned on the basis of the letter issued by Mineral Resources Department has been cancelled with immediate effect," he said.

Agrawal stated the government was committed to make efforts to increase income of farmers, bring down their cost of production and ensure irrigation facilities to their field.
He said the government was trying to ensure irrigation facilities in an area of 1 lakh hectare every year under the "Lakshya Bhagirathi Abhiyan".

"In order to ensure more and advance irrigation facilities in Pendraon reservoir area, the state government has sanctioned development works, including canal lining and other infrastructure, worth over Rs 35 crore for the area," the minister said.
The NoC was cancelled for the second time.
Earlier, it was cancelled in 2015 but was reissued in January 2017, senior BJP MLA from Dharsiwa constituency Devjibhai Patel said while urging the government to ensure that no such NoC would be issued again.
He claimed Mining department has given lease to crusher plants in the area without taking NoC from WRD.
"These crusher plants are not only polluting ground water, but are also affecting Pendraon reservoir," he said while requesting the government to cancel all mining leases given to crusher plants in the vicinity of the reservoir.

Congress MLAs, including the party's state unit president Bhupesh Baghel and the Leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo,asked whether there is any "guarantee" that the NoC will not be issued again.
The Congress members also asked the government to cancel the mining permission and agreement issued by Mining department in the area.