G&M Deptt, DCs fail to meet deadline for submission of comprehensive report

Detection, prevention of illegal mining across J&K UT

Sites for several Mineral Check Posts yet to be identified

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 10: Notwithstanding the fact that mining mafia is leaving no stone unturned to loot the mineral wealth of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by resorting to different tactics, the Geology and Mining Department has failed to furnish a detailed report on detection and prevention of this illegal activity within the specified time-frame.
Even majority of the Deputy Commissioners are soft-paddling on conduct of comprehensive survey in their respective districts despite being aware of the fact that illegal-mining results into adverse impact on the environment.
During past few months, EXCELSIOR carried out numerous exclusive news-items highlighting unabated illegal mining in various parts of Jammu region and slackness on the part of the Geology and Mining Department to check the activities of the mafia.
It was also reported that in Kathua district the civil administration came out with startling revelations about large scale illegal mining after getting joint survey conducted but action on such findings was not taken by the Geology and Mining Department for the reasons best known to those at the helm of affairs in this department.
Even State High Court, a number of times, passed strictures against the Geology and Mining Department for not paying serious attention towards illegal mining which leaves adverse impact on the environment in the form of erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water.
Keeping all these aspects in mind, Principal Secretary to Government Industries and Commerce Department Navin K Choudhary on October 18, 2019 laid stress on taking effective steps to detect and prevent illegal mining of minor minerals in Jammu as well as Kashmir.
Taking note of media reports that some unscrupulous elements were resorting to illegal mining, Navin Choudhary asked Director Geology and Mining to submit a factual report in this regard within 10 days positively. Even all the Deputy Commissioners were directed to look into these allegations and have a comprehensive survey done in their respective jurisdictions to detect if any illegal mining of minor minerals was taking place.
However, the Geology and Mining Department has failed to furnish the report within the time-frame fixed by the Principal Secretary to Government Industries and Commerce Department. “Joint Directors of the Geology and Mining Department, who were directed by the Director, to collect the information from ground zero, have yet not furnished the details to the Directorate”, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “this clearly indicates that there is no seriousness in timely detection and prevention of illegal activities of the mafia”.
They further said, “barring some Deputy Commissioners others are also soft-paddling on conducting comprehensive survey to detect illegal activities of the mafia, which is believed to have strong network in the administration”, adding this was not for the first time that the Deputy Commissioners and Geology and Mining Department were directed to tighten noose around the mafia and similar directions were issued from time to time in the past but ground situation has not improved up to the desired level.
When contacted, Director, Geology and Mining Department, Farooq Ahmed Khan admitted that comprehensive information has yet not been received from the Joint Directors and said, “as soon as I receive necessary inputs from them factual report will be furnished to the Principal Secretary to Government Industries and Commerce Department”.
About the construction of Mineral Check Posts, the Director said, “we have allotted the work to the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (JKSIDCO) and only they can provide information about the status of work on the Mineral Check Posts”.
According to the sources, Geology and Mining Department had assigned the task of construction of 23 Mineral Check Posts—16 in Jammu region and 7 in Kashmir valley to JKSIDCO and work on only eight of them that too in Jammu has been completed till date.
“There is dispute about the sites for Mineral Check Posts in Surankote and Kootah Morh while as at Billawar, where illegal mining is also going on, site is yet to be identified by the Geology and Mining Department”, they informed, adding “in Kashmir valley sites for five out of total seven Mineral Check Posts is yet to be identified”.
“All this clearly indicates that even no serious attention is being paid towards construction of Mineral Check Posts in a time bound manner by the Geology and Mining Department”, sources remarked.

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