UP: NGT Issues Notice To Pollution Control Board, Three Others Over Illegal Sand Mining In Muzaffarnagar

The green tribunal formed a panel to investigate the matter thoroughly and tasked the committee with providing insights into the range of illegal mining operations.

The green tribunal formed a panel to investigate the matter thoroughly and tasked the committee with providing insights into the range of illegal mining operations. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) initiated action against alleged illegal sand mining activities in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh and issued notices to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and three others, news agency PTI reported.

The green tribunal formed a panel to investigate the matter thoroughly and tasked the committee with providing insights into the range of illegal mining operations and identifying those accountable for it. The tribunal was hearing a case in which it had taken suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that some contractors were mining sand illegally in Nanglarai village, PTI reported.

According to the report, unlicensed mining caused trenches that were around thirty feet deep. It also claimed that fields had been affected by overloaded sand-transporting vehicles, which also demolished a check dam built to stop floods.

A bench comprising NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel acknowledged the gravity of the issue raised in the news report, calling it a "substantial issue", emphasising its relevance to environmental regulations compliance.

In an order issued on Tuesday, the bench directed responses from the member secretaries of CPCB and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the District Magistrate (DM) of Muzaffarnagar, and the regional officer of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

"Let notice be issued to the above respondents for filing their response at least one week before the next date of hearing (April 24)," the tribunal said, PTI reported.

It established a joint committee with the DM of Muzaffarnagar and the member secretary of the CPCB.

"The joint committee will visit the site, ascertain the true state of affairs existing there and the extent of illegal mining and persons responsible for the same, and submit the status report at least one week before the next hearing date," the tribunal further stated.