People, cattle perish in mining black holes
rainy season such pits become death traps for the local people and animals.
Sources in the mining department said they have sent a proposal for recruitment of 900 people in the department so that loopholes in monitoring due to paucity of manpower could be plugged.
GREEN PANEL FLAYS GOVT
Even the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed serious concern over deaths in such mining and quarrying pits. A day after the Guna incident last year, the NGT directed chief secretary to issue clear directions to the principal secretary (mines) and district collectors to carry out inspection of all mines in the state, stressing that conditions laid down in environmental clearances clearly say that the entire area should be fenced before starting the mining activity.
The NGT in March last year also directed Union ministry of environment and forests to examine whether the commercial activity of removal of mineral (sand) and other materials after obtaining temporary quarry permit, amounted to mining or not.
Advocate Om Srivastava, a legal expert on environmental issues, who has been dealing with cases related to mining in the NGT central bench, said as per Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006 and its subsequent amendments, environmental clearance (EC) is now compulsory for all mining activities and so all lease holders have to ensure closure of the mines.
“Also, there are provisions in MP Minor Mineral Rules which require mine lease holders to go for progressive closure of mines. But children continue to die in mining pits, indicating lot needs to be done to ensure safety. A compensation case has also been filed in the NGT over the drowning of the seven kids in Guna,” he said. Illegal mining and mining mafia violence leave big holes on the mining landscape. The Narmada yatra, which ended in May, also put spotlight back on the mining violations. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had to face criticism from the opposition and environmental groups who alleged that illegal mining was rampant in the state. They stressed that the world’s biggest river protection drive cannot go parallel with the illegal mining.
Sources in mineral resources department revealed that 11,031 cases of illegal transportation of minerals have been registered in the state since January 2016, apart from 660 cases of illegal mining. Also, the violence by mining mafia continues unabated. The mining officials are often attacked by mining mafia, especially in Chambal and Bundelkhand, where they have created terror. On several occasions even the police accompanying the officials are attacked. Under such an atmosphere, it becomes more difficult to ensure regular monitoring and effective closure or fencing of mines and quarries.
WHAT THE GOVT HAS TO SAY? VK Austin, director of geology and mining, admitted that there is a problem of pits being left open after quarrying and mining. “Though we regularly issue instructions, especially during rainy season, that all mines should be demarcated and fenced, there are some practical problems in filling the pits. In case of gitti and murram quarrying, if you have to fill their pits, you have to dig up earth from some other spot. So, if you fill one mining pit, another pit will be created. So, the best thing is to ensure all such quarrying pits are fenced and people are cautioned about them by the local officials and mining lease holders,” he said.
Austin said he will again pass strict directions to the officials to ensure such quarrying and mining pits be fenced or filled so that they don’t endanger the lives of people.