Illegal mining in Rampur: NGT directs CPCB to submit report on environmental damage

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to submit a report on the environmental damage caused due to illegal sand mining in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh.

A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore ordered the apex pollution monitoring body to submit the report within a month on being informed by a committee that illegal mining was going on at Patti Kalan village in Rampur.

"The said report has been filed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest on January 30, 2018 wherein para 1 relates to 'gata' no 577, para 2 is with regard to 1126 and 1127. A perusal of the same reveals the excavation done by mining beyond permissible depth, in stream mining and the damage caused due to mining done by using machines," the bench said.

The tribunal was informed that mining leases had expired in December 2017 and January 2018.

The matter was posted to May 13 for next hearing.

The green panel had on December 21 last year formed a joint committee of the CPCB and the Ministry of Environment and Forests to visit the area to verify if illegal mining, with the help of machines, was going on.

It had also directed the Rampur administration to provide all logistic support and necessary help in identifying the said place in the river bed of Kosi.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Rampur resident Mustafa Hussain, who said deep cuts and ditches have formed in the Kosi riverbed due to illegal sand mining using excavator machines which is posing a threat to the environment.

The petitioner had sought the protection of the banks and riverbeds from illegal and mechanised mining by the mafia.