Set up special cell to protect and manage Aravalis: NGT to Haryana

GURUGRAM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Haryana government to set up a special cell for the protection and management of the Aravalis. It has also asked the government not to issue any "short-term permit" for the mining of soil in the eco-sensitive hills in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Nuh.
The green panel asked the government to consider setting up an autonomous statutory authority - 'Aravallis Environment Management and Sustainable Development' - for integrated environment management and sustainable development of the Aravali range. The tribunal asked the state to file an affidavit in four weeks. The hearing took place on October 10, while the order came on Sunday.
The NGT was hearing a petition on illegal mining by the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement. The petition highlighted that mining was being carried out in 16 locations in the Aravalis and substantial portions of the hills had been mined. The hills, in some instances, had been completely razed to the ground, it said. The next hearing is on November 29.
"Officers from the police, forest, revenue and mining besides industries, panchayti raj/rural development, water resources, agriculture and animal husbandry departments as may be considered appropriate for ensuring coordination, evolving policy, planning and implementation of programmes for the protection and management of Aravalli Hills," the NGT said.
It also reviewed a report by a committee it had set up earlier. The report mentioned that though permits had been issued by the authorities concerned for extracting soil, they hadn't specified the procedure adopted for the approvals and the reasons for them.
"It is not disputed that under the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court there is complete prohibition of mining of major minerals in the Aravalli hills area. There is no reference to any order of Hon'ble Supreme Court permitting mining of minor minerals in the area. We are of the view that excavation of ordinary earth also amounts to mining requiring environmental clearance and no permits for lifting of ordinary earth can be issued without such environmental clearance and mining plan. It has also to be borne in mind that such orders granting special temporary permits may be misused by unscrupulous persons as cover to camouflaged illegal mining in the area and remedial action based on precautionary principle is required to be taken," the order stated.
Officials in the mining department, meanwhile, said they would comply with the order. "We will follow the order in full spirit. We already have a task force with members of the mining department. They are monitoring the Aravalis," said Anil Kumar, the mining officer in Nuh.
The committee formed by the NGT told the tribunal it had found nine mining sites in Gurgaon and Nuh.
The committee was constituted on May 23 after the NGT asked the departments concerned to take steps to prevent mining in the Aravalis.In 2009, the Supreme Court had banned all forms of mining in the sensitive mountain range, considered to be the oldest in the country and a rich quarry for construction stones and sand. This, however, failed to stop the miners, with much of the range withering every year.