Guwahati: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a probe into allegations of illegal sand mining in the Kaldiya River in Assam’s Bajali district.
The tribunal has constituted a committee to carry out an inspection of the site to assess the extent of damage caused to the river and its surrounding ecosystems.
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The NGT order came after a group of residents filed an original application (OA) before the tribunal, alleging gross violations of environmental norms.
The petitioners claimed that illegal sand mining was being carried out within 200 meters of a concrete bridge, using JCB excavators, in violation of the Sand Mining Guidelines of 2016 and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020.
They alleged that the mining activities had caused damage to the riverbed, roads, and culverts of the area.
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The petitioners further mentioned that the Director, Directorate of Geology & Mining, Assam, had granted approval for mining in the Chaibari Land Ordinary Clay Mining Permit Area, measuring 0.47 hectares, on the River Kaldiya. However, the petitioners alleged that the project proponent had been engaged in sand mining activities, which were not covered by the approved mining plan.
The NGT’s Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata, in its order passed on September 27, took note of the allegations and directed the formation of a committee to investigate the matter.
The committee will comprise a senior scientist from the Assam State Pollution Control Board and the District Commissioner of Bajali district or a representative of the Bajali district administration.
“Considering the serious allegations made, we deem it appropriate to constitute a committee to carry out an inspection of the site in question and submit a fact-finding report,” the NGT said in its order.
The Office of the District Commissioner shall be the Nodal office for all logistic purposes and for filing the Inspection Report on affidavit, the order read.
The committee has been tasked with examining the evidence presented by the petitioners and verifying whether illegal sand mining is indeed taking place.
It will also be required to assess the environmental damage caused by the alleged activities and recommend appropriate action.
The NGT has given the committee four weeks to complete its investigation and submit its report.
The NGT also issued notices to the State of Assam, the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the Assam State Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), and the project proponent, Kishor Kalita directing them to file their responses within four weeks.
The case has been listed for further hearing on November 14, 2024.
The applicants were represented by advocate Vikram Rajkhowa in the case before the NGT bench. The bench that passed the order consisted of Justice B. Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Dr. Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member).