Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan has decided to order an independent investigation into illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar, a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal is treated “fairly”.
Government sources told Hindustan Times that the minister is keen to get an inquiry conducted by the ministry’s regional office in Lucknow on the extent of illegal mining in the state with special reference to the district, where Nagpal tried stopping sanding mining by seizing 24 dumpers last week.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had defended her suspension saying her action of demolishing the boundary wall of a religious place could have created communal discord. A report from the district magistrate, however, said that the wall was voluntarily demolished by locals and Nagpal had no role to play.
“No state government would admit to illegal mining taking place in its jurisdiction after so much of political storm,” was the reason given by a senior functionary for ministry’s decision for its own inquiry. “We have seen clean chits given to illegal miners by the state governments in Karnataka and Goa”.
The ministry has six regional offices including one in Lucknow mandated to ensure implementation of Central laws on water, air and environment protection. The regional offices submit their reports on whose basis the ministry can initiate action against the miners.
As per law, a mandatory consent to operate from the state pollution control board under Air and Water Acts is required for any mining activity. Local sources said that the sand miners in Gautam Budh Nagar were operating without the mandatory consent. “Everyone other than environment law enforcers can see that mining is being done illegally,” said a local activist who was not willing to be quoted.
As the mining was being done within 10 kms of Haryana border on the banks of river Yamuna it required environment ministry’s approval under Environment Protection Act. That approval was also not there and the ministry failed to enforce its rule in a place about 30 kms from Paryavaran Bhavan, its headquarters.
With the suspension of Nagpal pitching the Samajwadi Party against Gandhi, the ministry has swung into action. Natarajan, sources said, is expected to issue an order directing the Lucknow office to start the inquiry and submit a report as soon as possible.
