Udalguri: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata, has imposed an immediate suspension on all mining activities in Assam’s Udalguri district, citing the absence of a mandatory District Survey Report (DSR) for the area.
The order, passed on January 17, comes after environmental concerns were raised regarding the lack of proper assessment of the environmental impact of mining operations in the region.
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The case, filed before the NGT, pointed to violations of earlier directives issued in Original Application No. 86/2024/EZ, in which the tribunal had stressed the necessity of a DSR for the mining of minor minerals.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had also laid down clear guidelines stating that no mining plan or tender for mining operations should be approved without the submission of a District Survey Report.
Despite these clear instructions, mining activities continued unchecked in the Dhansiri forest division of Udalguri, resulting in unscientific and environmentally harmful practices that have led to significant degradation of local flora and fauna.
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In response, the NGT has constituted a Fact-Finding Committee to probe the allegations of illegal and unscientific mining in the district.
The committee, comprising a Senior Scientist from the Assam State Pollution Control Board, the District Commissioner of Udalguri or a senior representative, and officials from the Department of Geology and Mining, will conduct a site visit and submit a report within three weeks.
The committee is expected to assess the status of sand mining and illegal mining activities in the region.
The tribunal has also instructed the Udalguri District Commissioner to ensure that no mining operations are carried out unless the District Survey Report is approved by the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). Until such approval is granted, all mining activities are to remain suspended.
Following the NGT’s order, the Divisional Forest Officer of Dhansiri Forest Division, Mustafa Ali Ahmed, issued a directive on Monday to halt all mining activities in the district.
He instructed range officers to serve the order to all lease and permit holders and ensure compliance by obtaining a written acknowledgment from them.
These permit holders have been specifically warned against continuing operations, which would be considered contempt of the tribunal’s order.
The NGT’s directive has raised concerns among stakeholders in the construction and mining sectors, who rely heavily on local mining for materials.
However, environmentalists have lauded the tribunal’s intervention, urging that such measures are necessary to protect the district’s delicate ecological balance while addressing mining-related challenges.