Taking suo motu cognisance of media reports pertaining to a 17-year-old girl’s video on the environmental impact of sand mining in Kerala, the NGT on Wednesday sought the District Magistrate’s report on the same.
The directions came after the tribunal took cognisance of a media report on the video, which highlights the issue of sand mining in Alappad and other villages on the coasts of Kollam and Alappuzha in southern Kerala.
1-month deadline
A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the Kollam District Magistrate and the State Pollution Control Board to submit the report within a month.
“Let the District Magistrate, Kollam, and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board look into the matter and take appropriate action in accordance with law and furnish a factual and action taken report to this tribunal within one month from the date of receipt of copy of this order,” the Bench said.
While stating that the State Pollution Control Board will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance with the order, the Bench further said, “The Kollam District Magistrate is given the liberty to associate the District Mining Officer of the area.”
