NGT seeks action

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board to submit an action plan to utilize the environmental compensation or fines collected for illegal mining to reclaim or rehabilitate the land.  This comes after NGT noted that no steps were taken in this regard at the Aravallis in Haryana. The Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement had submitted to the NGT that an RTI response from the Directorate of Mines and Geology, Government of Haryana, obtained in August last year stated that Rs 24,96,04,528 was collected as penalty or environmental compensation from 2010 to 2022 in cases of illegal mining in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Nuh districts. The Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement had submitted that despite a ban on mining in the area, illegal mining was taking place.