According to a probe by an eight-member panel constituted by the National Green Court, the area of Dadam Hills in Bhiwani where illegal mining was going on increased from 0.8 hectares in 2016 to over 1.5 hectares in four years.
The committee headed by Justice (Retired) Pritam Pal has submitted its inquiry report on the ongoing trial on the issue of illegal mining in Haryana. NGT constituted a committee to investigate illegal and unscientific mining by leaseholder M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals, The Indian Express reported.
In its report, while analyzing the data for February 16, 2020, the committee concluded: “It was observed that 0.097 hectares of mining area have been increased within and outside of the boundary of 0.8 hectares area… As per the record submitted by the Department of Mines & Geology, M/s Sunder Marketing Associates, a mining lease holder, has carried out mining in the Dadam mining area from 29.10.2015 to 30.11.2017 and M/s Govardhan Mines & Minerals started its mining operation in the mining lease area on 25.2.2019 and still, it is continued. In view of the above, the year-wise illegal mining done has increased to 1.533 hectares instead of 0.8 hectares”.
In its conclusion on the satellite data analysis, the committee concluded:
- M/s Sunder Marketing Associates has done illegal mining in forest area in 1.241 hectares (0.180 hectares + 1.061 hectares) as the said mining lease holder had carried out the mining in Dadam Mining area from 29.10.2015 to 30.11.2017.
- M/s Govardhan Mines & Minerals has done illegal mining in forest area in the area of 0.097 hectares as the said mining lease holder started its mining in Dadam mining area on 25.2.2019 and still, it is continued.
- Illegal mining in forest area in an area of 0.195 hectares (0.072 hectares + 0.123 hectares) has been done during the non-lease period (1.12.2017 to 24.2.2019) by unknown persons”.
- The mining area of 55.50 hectares in Dadam Town was earlier awarded by the Haryana Department of Mines and Geology to M/s KJSL Sundar (JV) on 3rd January 2014. Further, the lease was transferred from KJSL Sundar (JV) to M/s KJSL Sundar (JV) by the division on June 17, 2015 Sundar Marketing Associates. M/s Sundar Marketing Associates filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 2017 seeking permission to grant a mining lease to Dadam. , the Supreme Court, by an order dated August 11, 2017, allowed the petitioner to continue mining operations till September 30, 2017″ and before that date, it shall ensure the implementation of the mine closure plan. to the satisfaction of the authorities concerned.” in Haryana, including settlement of all royalties.” Consequently, the mining operations of M/s Sundar Marketing ceased with effect from December 1, 2017.
On December 4, 2018, the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed M/s Govardhan Mines to carry out mining on the environmental clearance previously granted to M/s KJSL “subject to final appraisal by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)” . In compliance of the HC order, the Director General, Mines & Geology Department, Haryana, through a letter dated December 21, 2018 allowed M/s Govardhan Mines to operate mining activity in an area of 48.87 hectares.