PPCB seeks report on recovery of fine from mining contractors
₹632 CR IN ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES Writes to mines dept to provide details of 3 Rupnagar quarries; penalty recovering process nowhere near complete, say officials
NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL HAS TASKED THE PPCB WITH OVERSEEING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS ORDERS FOR RECOVERY OF COMPENSATION
CHANDIGARH : The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has asked the state mines and geology department to file a status report on the penalty of ₹632 crore as environmental compensation imposed by National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the contractors of three sand mines in the Rupnagar district.
“Provide complete information with regard to the mining sites at Sawara, Baihara and Harsabela, their contractors and other documents along with the status of efforts made by the department to recover interim compensation so as to enable the board to file report to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the NGT,” said PPCB member secretary Krunesh Garg in a letter to the department.
The tribunal has tasked the PPCB with overseeing the implementation of its orders for recovery of compensation, Garg said, adding that the three mines are located along the Swan river in the Kandi belt.
Officials of the mines and geology department said the notices have been issued to the contactors but the process was nowhere near recovery of penalty. The amount has not been recovered and the contractors’ appeals are under consideration of the competent authority, it is learnt.
The environmental compensation on the contractors was imposed by the NGT in its July 10 order after a petition was filed by
Dinesh Chadha, a social activist and lawyer.
As per the pre-audit of the three quarries conducted by the state finance department, more than ₹464 crore was recoverable as compensation and royalty from the contractors of the Swara quarry, ₹165 crore from those operating the Baihara mine and ₹2 crore from the contractors of the Harsa
Bela quarry.
The tribunal in its March 18, 2020, order had maintained that notwithstanding being absolved in a criminal court illegal mining was rampant.
“The amount already assessed needs to be recovered as an interim compensation and the CPCB may examine the final liability for the damage on account of illegal mining. Further progress report in the matter may be filed by the state pollution control board as well as the CPCB,” the order read.
The NGT had brought on record that 91.4 lakh tonnes of minor minerals were extracted from the Swara quarry illegally, 32.64 lakh tonnes from the Baihara quary and 40,728 tonne from the Harsa Bela mine.