VIJAYAWADA | Dec 12, 2016: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in an order has restrained the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana from “carrying on mechanical mining” in riverbeds.
The NGT Principal Bench, New Delhi, consisting of chairman of the tribunal Justice Swatanter Kumar, Judicial Member Justice Raghuvendra S. Rathor and expert member Bikram Singh Sajwan has asked Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, any corporation, authority or person to refrain from mechanical mining in riverbeds.
The tribunal gave the order in response to an affidavit filed by environmental activist and advocate Sravan Kumar. In the affidavit he has stated that large-scale, illegal and unauthorised mining of sand is going on in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Talking to The Hindu on Monday, Mr Sravan Kumar said that he filed the affidavit in NGT because Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had been indulging in illegal mining of sand. While Andhra Pradesh Government admitted in an affidavit that it was mining sand for the completion of ‘time-bound’ government projects, Telangana denied it.
Mr. Sravan Kumar said that the Tribunal was convinced that Telangana was indulging in illegal mechanical mining of riverbeds when photographic evidence was produced. When the counsel of Telangana State was confronted with the photographic evidence at the Tribunal, he pleaded ignorance, Mr. Sravan Kumar said.
The Tribunal gave time till January 25 for the Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments as specifically contended by applicant (Sravan Kumar) to file affidavits about government-sponsored mechanical mining in riverbeds.
(Source: http://www.thehindu.com/)