It was observed that 0.097 hectares of mining area has been increased within and outside of boundary of 0.8 hectares area, the NGT report said. (File)The area in Bhiwani’s Dadam Hills where illegal mining was being carried out nearly doubled in four years — from 0.8 hectares in 2016 to over 1.5 hectares in early 2020 — a probe carried out by an eight-member committee formed by the National Green Tribunal has found.
The committee, headed by Justice (retd.) Pritam Pal, has submitted its probe report in an ongoing litigation on the issue of illegal mining in Haryana. The NGT had constituted the committee to verify the facts with regard to illegal and unscientific mining allegedly being carried out by leaseholder M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals .
In its report, while analysing the data for February 16, 2020, the committee concluded: “It was observed that 0.097 hectares of mining area has been increased within and outside of boundary of 0.8 hectares area… As per the record submitted by Department of Mines & Geology, M/s Sunder Marketing Associates, a mining lease holder, has carried out mining in Dadam mining area from 29.10.2015 to 30.11.2017 and M/s Govardhan Mines & Minerals started its mining operation in the mining lease area on 25.2.2019 and still it is continued. In view of the above, the year wise illegal mining done has increased to 1.533 hectares instead of 0.8 hectares”.
The report annexed a map showing the mining area.
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In its conclusion on the satellite data analysis, the committee concluded: “ (i.) M/s Sunder Marketing Associates has done illegal mining in forest area in 1.241 hectares (0.180 hectares + 1.061 hectares) as the said mining lease holder had carried out the mining in Dadam Mining area from 29.10.2015 to 30.11.2017. (ii.) M/s Govardhan Mines & Minerals has done illegal mining in forest area in area of 0.097 hectares as the said mining lease holder started its mining in Dadam mining area on 25.2.2019 and still it is continued. (iii.) Illegal mining in forest area in an area of 0.195 hectares (0.072 hectares + 0.123 hectares) has been done during non-lease period (1.12.2017 to 24.2.2019) by unknown persons”.
Mining area of 55.50 hectares at village Dadam was earlier allotted by the Haryana’s Mining and Geology Department on January 3, 2014 to M/s KJSL Sunder (JV). Further, the lease was transferred from KJSL Sunder (JV) to M/s Sunder Marketing Associate by the department on June 17, 2015. M/S Sunder Marketing Associates filed a petition before the Supreme Court in 2017 to allow it to surrender the mining lease at Dadam. The Supreme Court, through an order on August 11, 2017, permitted the petitioner to continue its mining operation till September 30, 2017 “and on and before that date, it shall ensure the implementation of mine closure plan to the satisfaction of the concerned authorities in Haryana including clearing of all the dues”. Accordingly, the mining activity by M/s Sunder Marketing was closed on December 1, 2017.
On December 4, 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed M/s Govardhan Mines to carry out mining on the environmental clearance previously granted to M/s KJSL “subject to final appraisal by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)” . In compliance of the HC order, the Director General, Mines & Geology Department, Haryana, through a letter dated December 21, 2018 allowed M/s Govardhan Mines to operate mining activity in an area of 48.87 hectares.
Petition on illegal mining
M/s Govardhan started mining operation at Dadam Hills on February 25, 2019. A resident of Dadam village, Kuldeep Singh, filed a petition in the NGT alleging illegal mining in forest area, unscientific mining in minable area, deep mining and withdrawal of ground water in the mining area without requisite permissions. It was in this case that NGT eventually constituted the eight-member joint committee and sought a report from it.
The committee comprised a former chief secretary of Haryana; regional officer, MoEF&CC, Chandigarh; nominees of central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Research Centre, Chandigarh, Haryana State PCB, SEIAA Haryana and District Magistrate, Bhiwani as its members. The CPCB and the state PCB acted as nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals had earlier told The Indian Express that “no illegality” was committed by them in mining operations and had termed the findings of the joint committee as a “political conspiracy”.
Justice Pal, however, had said that the “committee found several lapses on the mining site by both the project proponents – M/s Sunder Marketing Associate as well as M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals”.
The opposition parties in Haryana have often raised the issue of illegal mining in Dadam in particular and in state in general. The state government, however, cites several FIRs registered in this regard and claims to have adopted a zero tolerance on illegal mining.