Sand mining leases around Orsang River suspended

Vadodara: The district administration of Chhota Udepur suspended 11 sand mining leases in Orsang River at Ahladpura village in Bodeli taluka as the mining activities in the river have posed danger to aqueduct of main Narmada canal passing from there.
The Narmada Nigam authorities had written to the district collector to cancel the mining leases in the Orsang River as the activities had increased the depth of the river bed, exposing the foundation piles of the aqueduct, which passes over the Orsang River at Ahladpura village in Bodeli taluka. The Narmada Nigam had asked the district administration to cancel the leases in five km area around the aqueduct as even some of the foundation pillars were even damaged due to exposure, the letter stated which was written in December last year.

The district administration earlier this month, on the basis of the complaint received from Narmada Nigam, suspended 11 leases that were operating near the aqueduct. Later on the orders of the Chhota Udepur collector Vijay Kharadi, an area of 500 metres upstream and downstream of the aqueduct was also marked.

“A notification of mines and minerals department bars sand mining activities 500 metres upstream and downstream of an irrigation project or a bridge so we have already marked that area after suspending the leases. Now we are waiting for a technical report from Narmada Nigam and once that is received, we will forward it to mines and minerals department for further action,” said Kharadi.

A senior district administration official told TOI that they are also contemplating on declaring the area around the aqueduct as no-mining zone. However, a formal decision has not been taken on it.

The aqueduct was built around 2001 so that the water of the main canal can cross over the Orsang River.