In an unusual development, Uttarakhand High Court has asked Indian Army for its advice on how to keep river Ganga free of 121 stone crushers set up in Haridwar. The court deplored the ongoing illegal mining of building materials from Ganga riverbed and setting up stone crushers on its banks.
Hearing upon a PIL, filed by the renowned pro-environment ashram in Haridwar, Matri Sadan and others, on Thursday, a double bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Pankaj Purohit of Nainital High Court expressed its unhappiness over illegal stone crushers set up on the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar being condoned by Uttarakhand government.
The Court asked the state government why all 121 stone crushers cannot be shifted five kilometers away the river bank as ordered by it and National Green Tribunal. Terming it a serious matter High Court bench questioned why 48 illegal stone crushers closed on its order in the past were reopened in Ganga catchment area.
The angry bench of the high court sought help from Indian Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles as to its query why stone crushers set up by the mining mafia are not being relocated from Ganga bank despite its order in the past.
The court sought advice from the 27th Infantry Battalion that specialises in afforestation, water and environmental conservation, workshops and public awareness programs.
Appearing virtually on the direction of the court Captain Raghav, legal cell officer of the Garhwal region of the Indian Army assured the court to get into the details of the matter and appraise it in the next hearing. During hearing when the bench asked captain for Indian Army’s opinion to shift all 121 stone crushers minimum five kilometers away from River ganga, officer Raghav sought time to gather desired information and submit it before the court in due course of time.
The court also questioned the state government why a suitable place cannot be found to relocate the stone crushers. The next hearing of the case will be on June 18.
The bench criticised the state administration for its inability to stop unabated illegal mining in the Ganga riverbed in Haridwar. It said, “Illegal mining is going on indiscriminately in the Ganga between Raiwala and Bhogpur area of Haridwar thawarting all norms. It’s a threat to the existence of the river itself.”
The petitioners have pleaded before the HC bench in the PIL to stop illegal mining in the Ganga river. The petitioners stated that the National Mission for Clean Ganga had repeatedly ordered the state government not to allow mining in Ganga but it fell on the deaf ears.