Green activists flag ‘over exploitation’ of Yamuna riverbed

YAMUNANAGAR: Green activists on Friday alleged over exploitation of Yamuna river by the Haryana government, which, they said, is sponsoring its destruction.
On Friday, a complaint was filed through e-mail by Bhim Singh Rawat and eight other members of Yamuna Nadi Mitra Mandli (YNMM) to officials of the Union and state government, secretary, ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MOEFCC), member secretaries of CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and HSPCB (Haryana State Pollution Control Board), ACS (additional chief secretary) mines and geology department, Haryana, deputy commissioner (DC) Yamunanagar, engineer-in-chief (EIC) of irrigation and water resources department, Haryana, and several others.
Bhim Singh, one of the complainants, said, “We have lodged an online complaint with a request to prohibit large-scale, illegal, mechanised and unsustainable riverbed mining operations in Yamuna river at Kanalsi village area of Yamunanagar district of Haryana and demanded stern action against mining companies involved in brazen violation of established norms.”
In the complaint, members of YNMM stated, “The riverbed has been severely dug up beyond recognition and mid-stream mining with heavy machines is rampant. Mining operations are being conducted even at night. This is a deficit monsoon year for the Yamuna river basin. There has hardly been any flood spell replenishing the already dug-up river over the past two years.”
“There has been no thought of the adverse impact on groundwater table, river biodiversity, aquatic life, lean season flows, farmlands and dependent village population. Villagers are being threatened to stay quiet and farmers have also filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT)”, the complainants alleged.
“We plead, urge you to stop all mining activities in Yamuna river especially in Yamunanagar, unless a scientific replenishment and cumulative impact assessment is done by independent agencies. If the unsustainable and illegal mining operations are not stopped, Haryana and Delhi states will face a severe water crisis in the coming months,” the YNMM said.
A few videos of early Friday morning from Kanalsi village mining zone showed about six pock-lane machines conducting mining activities inside the Yamuna river basin in violation of norms.
The whistleblowers have also raised questions on overloading of mining vehicles, damaging roads in Yamunanagar district. The Haryana Anti Corruption Society has demanded a CBI probe into mining and overloading in the district.
Yamunanagar deputy commissioner (DC) Mukul Kumar said, “An activist, B S Rawat called me and raised the issue of mining in Kanalsi area. I confirmed from the district mining officer (MO), who told me that it is their legal point and the site has been allotted to miners by the government. I have asked the mining officer to talk to the complainant and look into the matter. The government is looking to lease more area of Kanalsi ghat in the Yamuna for mining.”
Yamunanagar MO Neeraj Kumar said, “Our department and the Irrigation and Water Resources Department (IRWD) are looking into this matter. We talked to some locals who alleged that the mining contractor has done mining beyond the permissible limits. If norms are violated, action will be initiated immediately as per rules of the state mining department as the contractor is given lease by the government.”
Box: Team to verify operational mines in Yamunanagar
To conduct verification of sites of all operational mines in Yamunanagar district, DC Mukul Kumar, on Friday, formed a team in view of the orders dated September 30, 2020, issued by the Appellate Authority Haryana under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It is chaired by ACS Dheera Khandelwal of Department of Environment and Climate Change.
The team will have to submit its report positively before October 16, the DC’s order stated. In his order, DC Yamunanagar Mukul Kumar said that a team of officials has been constituted in sub-divisions of Jagadhri, Bilaspur and Radaur, for verification of sites of all the operational mines in the district of Yamunanagar.
The team comprises tehsildars of Jagadhri, Bilaspur and Radaur, naib tehsildars of Chhachhrauli, Sadhaura and Pratap Nagar, regional officer of Haryana State Pollution Control Board, executive engineers of Water Services Division, Jagadhri and Dadupur and mining officer of Yamunanagar.