Haryana: Why fines for mining in Aravalis shot up in 2020

GURUGRAM: Fines for illegal mining in the Aravalis in Gurugram and Nuh have seen a steep surge in the past two and a half years, data sourced from the mining department have revealed.

While the government managed to recover Rs 10.7 lakh in penalties in 2018-19, the number shot up to a massive Rs 8.2 crore in 2020-21 as illegal miners took advantage of the slack vigil during the pandemic. In 2021-22, the mining department recovered Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 29.7 lakh till July this year.
Officials agreed there was a slack in vigil during the lockdown months of 2020, when illegal mining increased manifold. “Yes, illegal mining shot up to dangerous levels during the pandemic as our security teams were less operational. But we increased our vigil soon and slapped fines on anyone found mining in the Aravalis in the two districts. Our teams have been relentlessly carrying out inspections now and watching over the Aravalis,” said a senior official in the mining department.
For decades, the eco-sensitive Aravali ranges in Gurugram , Faridabad and Nuh were quarried for sand and stones used in construction before the Supreme Court ordered a blanket ban on it in 2009.
Mining has, however, continued at certain spots in the ranges. A petition filed recently at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement alleged that mining was rampant in at least 16 locations.
The disastrous impact of mining has been seen in neighbouring Rajasthan as well, where 31 out of 128 hills in the Aravali region disappeared over 50 years because of quarrying, according to findings of a Supreme Court-appointed committee in 2018.
On May 23, the NGT had directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) and the administrations of Gurugram , Faridabad and Nuh to form a joint committee and carry out inspections in the Aravalis for almost a month. The committee will have to submit a report in three months.
Apart from imposing fines, the government also seized a number of vehicles used to transport the quarried stones. In 2020-21, 189 vehicles were seized in Gurugram alone and Rs 5.7 crore recovered as penalties. In 2021-22, a total of 112 vehicles were seized in the district and Rs 2.3 crore recovered. Till July 9 this year, 11 heavy vehicles were seized and Rs 25.4 lakh recovered.
Similarly, in Nuh, a total of 194 vehicles were seized and Rs 2.5 crore recovered in 2020-21. The next fiscal, the number of vehicles seized increased to 387 but only Rs 17.1 lakh were recovered in penalties. Till July 9 this year, the mining department seized 83 vehicles in Nuh and recovered Rs 4.3 lakh.
Environmentalists warned that mining had a direct effect on the air quality of Gurugram and nearby areas, where pollution levels have been a cause for concern for years now. “The greenery there helps in cleaning up the air. If illegal mining is this rampant, it will not only destroy the forest cover but also harm the wildlife here,” said Vaishali Rana Chandra, a green activist. Haryana has a total of 119 mines, of which 49 are operational. Most of the active mines are in Yamunanagar, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendergarh and Bhiwani.