News Item Titled "Chaibasa: Illegal Mining of Stones Is Going on in Saranda Forest" Appearing in Lagatar Dated 31.05.2024 vs

NGT2 Aug 2024Original Application No. 1005/2024

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The National Green Tribunal registered an Original Application suo-motu based on a news report alleging illegal stone mining in Saranda Forest, Jharkhand. The court impleaded statutory authorities and transferred the matter to the Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata, for further proceedings.

What did the court decide?

OA transferred to Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata for further action; respondents given notice to file response.

News Item Titled "Chaibasa: Illegal Mining of Stones Is… — Environment and Pollution | NGT (2024)

¶1

Item No. 04

¶2

Court No. 1

¶3

BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI

¶4

Original Application No. 1005/2024

¶5

News item titled "Chaibasa: Illegal mining of stones is going on in Saranda forest" appearing in Lagatar dated 31.05.2024

¶6

Date of hearing: 02.08.2024

¶7

CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER

¶8

Respondent: Mr. Kumar Anurag Singh & Mr. Dev Aaryan, Advs. for R - 2 (Through VC)

¶9

ORDER

¶10

This Original Application is registered suo-motu on the basis of the news item titled "Chaibasa: Illegal mining of stones is going on in Saranda forest" appearing in Lagatar dated 31.05.2024

¶11

The matter relates to ongoing illegal mining of stones in Saranda Forest in Jharkhand. As per the article, illegal mining of stones is occurring in the Saranda forest, specifically in the area between Usruiya and Ponga villages, to supply materials for constructing a bridge and guard wall on the Dulai River. The Koyna forest range team, under the Saranda forest division, conducted a raid and seized a tractor loaded with illegally mined stones. Additionally, a large stockpile of illegal stones was also discovered in the forest.

¶12

As per the news item, a contractor from Palamu/Ranchi, is accused of illegally sourcing stones from the forest, which has raised concerns among villagers. Previously, the contractor had also been accused of using illegally mined stones for constructing a guard wall on the Hatnaburu-Ponga road. Villagers' complaints had gone unaddressed,

¶13

¶14

allegedly due to the contractor's influence over the forest department. This illegal activity has not only disrupted the forest ecosystem but has also led to delays and alleged corruption in the bridge construction project.

¶15

The above news item indicates violation of the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

¶16

The news item raises substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment.

¶17

Power of the Tribunal to take up the matter suo-motu has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897 .

¶18

Hence, we implead the following as respondents in this matter:

¶19

i. Central Pollution Control Board, Through its Member Secretary Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi-110032

¶20

ii. JharkhandState Pollution Control Board, Through its Member Secretary

¶21

Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board

¶22

H.E.C., Dhurwa, Ranchi-834004 (Jharkhand)

¶23

iii. Ministry of Environment and Forest, Through its Regional Office Regional Office (ECZ), Bunglow No. A-2,

¶24

Shyamali Colony, Ranchi-834002

¶25

iv. Deputy Commissioner, West Singhbhum

¶26

District Collectorate Building,

¶27

¶28

West Singhbhum, Chaibasa, Jharkhand 833201.

¶29

Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response before the appropriate bench of the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing.

¶30

Mr. Kumar Anurag Singh, Adv accepts notice for Respondent No. 2 and seeks four weeks time to file response.

¶31

Since the matter relates to the Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata, therefore, OA is transferred to the Eastern Zonal Bench for appropriate further action. Let the original record of this OA be transferred to the Eastern Zonal Bench, Kolkata.

¶32

List before Eastern Zonal Bench at Kolkata on 18.09.2024.

¶33

Prakash Shrivastava, CP

¶34

Arun Kumar Tyagi, JM

¶35

Dr. A. Senthil Vel, EM

¶36

August 02, 2024 O.A. No. 1005/2024 HB

¶37

News Item Titled "Chaibasa: Illegal Mining of Stones Is Going on in Saranda Forest" Appearing in Lagatar Dated 31.05.2024 vs

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

News Item Titled "Chaibasa: Illegal Mining of Stones Is Going on in Saranda Forest" Appearing in Lagatar Dated 31.05.2024 vs

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

A compact analysis

Issues for consideration

Cases cited

Statutes considered

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Shrankhla Mittal vs Govt. of NCT Delhi

C Rajaram Iyer vs Govt. of N.C.T. of Delhi

Gyanendra Pandey vs

Ajoy Lucas Edwards vs

Vipin Kumar vs

Jitendra Singh Rai vs State of Madhya Pradesh through District Magistrate

Sumit Beng vs State of Madhya Pradesh

Ashish Rai vs State of Madhya Pradesh

Gyanendra Pandey vs

Deepak Rai vs State of Uttar Pradesh

Gyanendra Pandey vs

Ashok Kumar Jain vs

News Item Titled "Pavoor Uliya Kudru Shrinking Due to Illegal Sand Mining Locals Demand Justice" Appearing in Udayavani Dated 25.06.2024 vs

News Item Titled "Ri Bhoi Village Troubled by Stone Quarries" Appearing in Meghalaya Dated 05.07.2024 vs