CLOSE CALL

A Central Pollution Control Board report confirms Illegal mining on the Ganga river in Haridwar

- SUKRITI VATS

WE, THE petitioners, were supposed to coordinate with the authorities to show the mined areas, but the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) officials inspected areas selectively,” complains Brahmchari Sudhanand, member of Haridwar-based environmental group Matri Sadan.

Sudhanand's comment refers to an inspection of the Ganga river by CPCB on February 18-19 in pursuance of a directive by the Uttara-khand High Court. The court, on February 14, had asked CPCB to assess mining activities in the Ganga stretch from Raiwala to Bhogpur in Haridwar after Matri Sadan, in 2022, submitted photographic evidence and eyewitness testimonies of indiscriminate mechanised mining and transport by trucks. The inspection report, submitted by CPCB to the high court and received by Matri Sadan on March 5, acknowledges the presence of illegal mining, including the lodging of cases against illegal mining. It highlights:

Prevalence of crushers: The Bhogpur area houses 53 of the total 121 stone crushers in Haridwar. Annexures to the report indicate that 22 stone crushing units in Bhogpur have either had their operational permit suspended, or their lease has expired.

Proximity to the river: The report identifies 10 stone crushers within 1 km of the Ganga in the Raiwala to Bhogpur stretch, a potential violation of the Uttarakhand Stone Crusher Policy, 2021, which mandates a minimum distance of 1 km. The policy was enacted following earlier high court orders and the National Mission for Clean Ganga guidelines that initially stipulated a 5 km buffer zone.