NGT dismisses plea against quartz mining in Haryana

The National Green Tribunal has junked a plea alleging mining of quartz and encroachment of reserved forest area in Haryana's Mahendargarh district after noting that the activity was carried out after obtaining clearance from authorities.
A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said the plea filed by a former army man is devoid of merits and the miner has a valid lease and was carrying on mining after following due procedure.
"The private respondent has been granted Environmental Clearance (EC) by State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority and consent under both, Water Act of 1974 as well as Air Act of 1981...

"The material on record including inspection reports submitted by the respondent government authorities after inspection of the site leaves no room for doubt that miner has not encroached on adjoining land. The applicant has failed to establish that respondent no 9 (mines lease owner) has been carrying on illegal mining," the bench said.
The tribunal's judgement came on a plea filed by Lt. Gen. (retd) Satyevir Yadav seeking closure of all quartz mining activities of respondent no 9 (mines lease owner) in village Mukandpura, sub-division Narnaul of Mahendargarh in Haryana.
The applicant had submitted through Geographical Information Systems remote sensing that the reserved forest area has been encroached and there is rampant illegal mining on the land.

He had also alleged that transportation of extracted minerals was being done in an unscientific manner by the miner as the trucks which were carrying minerals in an over-loaded manner and causing air pollution.
"There is no provision of water sprinklers in the mining area and, therefore, harmful dust particles are carried around the forest and villages," it said.