NGT seeks Centre's reply on plea against UP govt order

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today sought response of the Centre and UP government on a plea alleging that illegal sand mining is going on in Noida and other areas along river Yamuna due to an order passed by the state allowing removal of sand deposited on agricultural land during floods.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice seeking response of the Environment Ministry, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), UP government, UP Pollution Control Board and Directorate of Geology and Mining of the state, by December 13.
Meanwhile, the bench directed the petitioner NGO, Jan Sashaktikaran, to file a proper affidavit stating that sand mining is going on, especially in the river bed, under the garb of removing minerals deposited by floods.

Appearing for the NGO, advocate Rahul Choudhary submitted that the Uttar Pradesh government has issued an order on August 29, 2013, by which farmers on whose land sand has been accumulated due to floods in the river were given permission to remove excess deposits.
He said, "Under the garb of removing sand deposited by floods, the mineral is being mined from river beds illegally."
The petition contends that the government order is an attempt to bypass the order of the Supreme Court which had directed that mining on land measuring five hectares or less would require clearance from the Environment Ministry or SEIAA.

"The said step of the state government is an attempt to legalise the illegal sand mining going on in Uttar Pradesh," the petition has alleged.
It has sought quashing of the government order on the ground that it is against the 2006 environment notification which provides that sand mining on land measuring five hectares or less requires clearance from SEIAA.
The petition has also sought a direction to the authorities to cancel the permissions granted, if any, for removal of the sand deposited by floods.