DEHRADUN/HARIDWAR: On Thursday as Brahmachari Atmabodhanand's fast against illegal mining in Ganga entered the 22nd day, the local administration swung into action and announced that sand mining from the river at Haridwar would be banned with immediate effect.
But even as the seer accepted a glass of juice and ended his fast, the administration, though the Haridwar district magistrate Harish Chandra Semwal, said the ban was "for now" in force for the "next 7-10 days."
There would be further announcement on it after permitted mining slots were properly demarcated by that time. Semwal has also directed the forest, irrigation and mining departments to find out exact measurements of permitted mining slots and install pillars to demarcate boundaries. Once this is done, he added, mining will be permitted on these slots.
Atmabodhanand's Matri Sadan, anti-mining lobby, and environmentalists on Friday welcomed the state government's decision and said it was a "much required step in the right direction."
"I am satisfied with the response of the district magistrate," Atmabodhanand told TOI. "He assured us in writing that he will not allow illegal mining on the Ganga. We had complained that mining was being carried out illegally beyond allotted permits. A team from the ministry of environment and forest (MoEF), too, visited the mining locations after I began my fast. They are yet to submit a report on the issue. The DM has assured us that he would comply with the directions of MoEF in this regard."
The ashram has been fighting a relentless battle against illegal mining in the Ganga for close to 15 years now.
Noted green activist Anil Joshi said, "Recharging of underground aquifers by river gets severely affected by reckless mining. However, limited amount of mining can be carried out as per norms so that excess amount of sand does not eat into the banks. Hence, a proper study should be carried out to ascertain what kind of mining can be carried out on what locations and soil types to save the ecosystem from permanent damage."
Environmentalist Hemant Dhyani said the mining mafia were extracting boulders from the bed of the Ganga, which had been depositing there for thousands of years. "They are damaging the flora and fauna of the river as well as its natural flow dynamics," he said.
