RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, May 13: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) today directed the state government not to award a sand mining lease in pursuance to its notice inviting expression of interest (EoI).
The Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation (JSMDC) had invited EoI on September 30 last year for empanelment of mine-developer-cum -operator (MDOs) for obtaining statutory clearances, excavation and transportation of sand from sand ghats to stockyards, setting up and maintenance of stockyards, loading sand on the vehicle and sale of sand to end customer.
The direction came from the division bench of Judicial Member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Expert Member Saibal Dasgupta. on a petition by Bhumi Adhigrahan Visthapan Avam Punarvas Kisan Samiti demanding to quash the said notice.
“In the interim, we direct that till the counter-affidavit is filed by the State Respondents, no sand mining leases shall be awarded in pursuance of the impugned Notice Inviting Expression of Interest dated 30.09.2021,” the NGT order reads.
The petitioner in its petition, apart from quashing the notice, has prayed for the preparation of the District Survey Report (DSR) in conformity with the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016 and Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020.
The contention of the applicant was that the District Survey Report (DSR) has been prepared by the District Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) whereas it is required to be approved by the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) as per directions given by the Supreme Court.
The NGT deferred the hearing in the matter till July 14.
