Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 20: At a time when environment degradation has become a major concern for everybody, the Geology and Mining Department has been allowing quarrying across the Jammu and Kashmir without paying any heed to this vital aspect just for the sake of earning royalty thereby causing immense damage to the environment. Moreover, the related departments like Environment and Irrigation and Flood Control are not being consulted and inconvenience to the people in the nearby areas is being completely ignored despite the fact that the same has already been viewed very seriously by the J&K State Water Resources Management Authority.
One of the examples of ignoring environment aspect while granting permission for quarrying is Chiryai Muthal area in Maand village near Tikri in Udhampur district where a mountain having a plateau and greenery on the slopes was allowed for quarrying by the Geology and Mining Department and the same has been rendered completely defaced by the miners.
According to the reliable sources, while granting permission to one Purshotam of Maand village (who was forcibly retired from the Revenue Department by the then Government headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad for being involved in corrupt practices), the Geology and Mining Department didn’t bother to consider whether quarrying would cause any environment degradation or damage the vital road and bridge near the mountain.
“The quarrying was allowed despite the fact that plateau on the mountain was being considered for development of a helipad keeping in view the potential of promoting tourism in Chiryai Muthal area, which forms part of a project already submitted to the Government of India for funding”, sources said, adding “the miner, who was even enjoying the political patronage, carried out quarrying beyond the permissible limit and resulted into complete defacement of the mountain besides causing extensive damage to the vital and only road to the area and a bridge”.
While concerned officers of the Geology and Mining Department remained mute spectator to the violation by the miner, the district administration came to know from locals about the environment and other damages because of quarrying and got the same stopped by imposing Section 144 despite immense political pressure from certain quarters about ignoring the quarrying, sources informed.
“Though following district administration intervention the Geology and Mining Department got the quarry permit stopped yet for quarrying beyond the permissible limit only meager amount of fine has been imposed on the miner”, they said. How could damage to environment and road/bridge can be justified for paltry fine? sources asked and stressed that this issue should be taken very seriously at the highest level in the Government so that such an activity fraught with causing huge environment damage could be stopped forthwith in other parts of the State.
When contacted, District Mineral Officer, Dr Rajinder Rana confirmed that fine has been imposed on the miner for carrying out quarrying beyond permissible limit, adding “quarry permit has also been stopped and presently no mining activity is going on in the area”.
It is pertinent to mention here that non-consultation of connected departments has already been taken seriously by the J&K State Water Resources Management Authority headed by former Chief Secretary S S Kapur but the way process of granting permissions by the Geology and Mining Department is continuing it seems that environment is no issue for those at the helm of affairs in this department.
The scant attention towards the environment degradation from the Geology and Mining Department is notwithstanding the fact that State High Court has already directed the Government to constitute committees comprising one member mandatory as an expert on environment and forest in each district to examine the quarrying activities.
Follow our WhatsApp channel