LI Network
Published on: 4 August 2023 at 12:40 IST
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken action on allegations of illegal mining against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The NGT formed a committee to investigate the matter in three villages of Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, namely Majharath, Jaitpur, and Nawabganj.
The decision came from a bench consisting of judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr. A Senthil Veil.
They observed that there were prima facie concerns related to the environment and the enforcement of laws listed in Schedule I to the NGT Act, 2010.
The NGT acted on an application that accused Singh of engaging in illegal mining activities, including the unlawful transportation of minor minerals using over 700 overloaded trucks every day.
The applicant also alleged storage and illegal sale of minor minerals, as well as damage to the Patpar Ganj bridge and road caused by these overloaded trucks.
To address the serious allegations, the NGT constituted a joint committee comprising officials from various relevant bodies, such as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Central Pollution Control Board, the National Mission for Clean Ganga, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control, and the District Magistrate of Gonda.
The committee’s primary task is to verify the factual situation and take appropriate actions after conducting visits to the site and hearing the project proponent.
Additionally, the committee has been directed to assess compliance with the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020.
This includes examining the guidelines related to the rehabilitation of mined areas and any damage caused to the river Saryu.
The NGT has set the date for the next hearing on November 7, 2023, when the committee’s findings and actions will be presented.
