A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State government not to grant henceforth fresh permits or leases or renew existing permits for mining and quarrying operations without environment clearance.
The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A.M. Shaffique issued the order when a batch of writ petitions filed by quarry owners against the government refusal to renew their quarry permits and a writ against indiscriminate quarrying came up for hearing . The writ petitions were referred to the Division Bench by a single judge.
Advocate General K.P. Dandapani submitted that the government was in the process of amending the existing mining rules in the light of the observations of the Supreme Court in the Deepak Kumar case.
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In fact, draft rules on amendment had already been prepared. The rules would be finalised by January 21.
The Advocate General also told the court that the government would not issue fresh permits or renew the existing permits or leases till the matter was heard by the Bench.
Petitioners’ contentionADVERTISEMENT
The petitioners, who were against the grant of permits, contended that the government was going ahead with the plan to issue fresh permits and renew existing permits of mining and quarrying operations.
It was against the spirit of the Apex Court judgment in the Deepak Kumar case. The Supreme Court had made environmental clearance mandatory for mining operations in Deepak Kumar case.
The government had issued short term permits without insisting on environmental clearance, the petitioners alleged.