The problem of illegal mining in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand has been a threat to the villagers and the environment for a long time. Taking strict action on this serious problem, the court has banned chalk mining in the entire district with immediate effect. This decision of the court is based on a report by Aaj Tak and India Today on August 14, 2024, in which it was revealed that there were cracks in the mountains and houses due to mining in the villages of Kanda tehsil.
Court’s intervention by taking cognizance of the report
Aaj Tak’s report was presented by amicus curiae advocate Dushyant Mainali in the PIL (No. 174/2024). Along with this, this matter was also raised in the Public Interest Litigation (No. 202/2024) filed by Sajjan Lal Arya. The case was heard by Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court G. Narendra and senior justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari.
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Considering illegal mining as a serious issue, the division bench ordered the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to visit the affected villages and prepare a report. Apart from this, Mayank Ranjan Joshi and Sharang Dhulia were appointed Court Commissioners. They were instructed to inspect the villages, assess the damage caused by mining and suggest solutions.
Evidence of damage caused by mining
In the report presented by the Court Commissioner, it was found that chalk mining was done against the rules not only on forest land but also on government land. Due to mining, cracks have appeared on the mountains, due to which the risk of landslides has increased. Villagers said that filling of water in cracks during heavy rains can lead to major accidents. Their agricultural lands have been destroyed and residents of many villages are forced to migrate.
Villagers’ plea and administration’s indifference
The villagers say that their problems have been ignored by the local administration and the government. Those who had resources migrated to cities like Haldwani. But poor villagers are still forced to live in dangerous conditions. The villagers have appealed to the court to relocate them to safer places and to impose a permanent ban on mining.
court instructions
The court has directed the Director of Mining, District Magistrate Bageshwar, Sub-District Magistrate Bageshwar and DFO Bageshwar to personally appear in the court on January 8, 2025 and file a reply. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled for January 9, 2025. This decision of the court is expected to provide relief to the residents of villages affected due to illegal mining.
This order is not only an important step towards environmental protection, but is also necessary to ensure the safety of the villagers. It is expected that after this decision the administration will take strict action against the mining mafia and take concrete steps to save the environment. This intervention of the court has raised hopes of finding solutions to the problems of the environment and the villagers.