The Uttarakhand High Court, on Tuesday, ordered ‘complete’ ban on mining activities in the State for four months. The move comes four days after a forest worker was allegedly killed in Ramnagar while he was chasing the mining mafia.
High-power committee
The Division Bench comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, while hearing the proceedings on a public interest litigation plea filed by Navin Chandra Pant in 2016, ordered that a high-power committee be constituted to assess the expanse of river bed mining in the State and submit a report. The committee has been directed to submit a report within four months. “Till then, there shall be a complete ban on mining activities including in forest areas, rivers, rivulets and streams in Uttarakhand,” the order said.
The court directed the State government to refrain from granting any “fresh licence, mining lease, reconnaissance or prospecting licence” till the committee submitted its report. The State government has also been directed to “take every possible measure… including the registration of FIR against persons involved in illegal mining”.
