JAIPUR: The
real estate industry and
civic body officials in the state are anxiously waiting for
Supreme Court hearing on Monday and expecting relief on the ban on sand mining.
On November 16, Supreme Court restrained 82 large sand mine lease holders in the state from carrying out mining of sand and bajri in the state. Since then, many infrastructure project and private housing projects are stalled.
The state government on Monday, will give its plea in the apex court to allow mining aty 10 mines, which have procured environmental clearance from the
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
The court had restrained all the 82 mining lease/quarry holders from carrying out mining of sand and bajri unless a scientific replenishment study is completed and the matter is fully and dispassionately considered by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and an environmental clearance is granted or rejected. Sources said, "The lease holders have completed replenishment study for 19 years. The study was done by the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute."
Following the court direction, the state government will also file an affidavit over the allegation that the state of Rajasthan is complicit with the miners/quarry holders and sand and bajri is being mined with impunity. The apex court directed the the chief secretary the reply had to be filed within four weeks.
The apex court order followed a special leave petition (SLP) by the sand mine quarry lease holders against an adverse high court order of October 21, 2013. The apex court in an earlier had stated that river beds need to be protected against illegal mining and that rules need to be framed to regulate mining. It was also made mandatory that all licenses to excavate soft sand from river basins should be given only after a due permission is obtained from ministry of environment and forests.
The ban on sand mining since November has put a brake on the ongoing private housing and government infrastructure projects in the state.
Construction work estimated at Rs 5,000 crore in the government and private sectors has been stalled. Majority of projects are either on standstill mode or moving at a snail's pace for the past two months.
The unavailability of bajri for construction has also posed serious problems for thousands of labourers, workers and consumers.
Some developers added that nearly 5 lakh labourers, including migrant labourers depend on construction and allied industries.
There is also a dramatic drop in construction activities after the ban and cascading effect real estate related business can be seen. "Business has gone down by 85% as there are few buyers for bricks, cement and other material required for construction. The demand is expected to fall further if no relief is provided," said Abhishek Sharma, who is associated with the construction business.
