Date | Jan 05, 2017:
The Jharkhand High Court while hearing a petition filed by Advocate Hemant Shikarwar directed State Government to inform what action had been taken so far to stop quarrying of stones and crushers in the State and what were the results achieved so far. The court also asked State Government and the petitioner as well, to make suggestions in bullet points what could be the measures to stop it completely.
“The division bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Ratnakar Bhengra asked State Government and me also to submit suggestions how the illegal mining of stones could be stopped so that it could specifically give directions in this regard,” said the petitioner Hemant Sikarwar. The court also questioned the government to file an affidavit depicting what actions has been taken so far to stop it and what have been the results in this regard, he said.
Shikarwar, a resident of Hazaribagh, complained in his petition that illegal mining was flourishing in the district with the local administration and the state mines department doing little to crack down on the quarrying. Some of these places where this illegal activity is going on — Bhusai, Ichak, Sadam and Tepsa — are located barely a few kilometres from the district headquarters and function right under the nose of the authorities, he pointed out.
Sikarwar has mentioned in his petition that, besides damaging the crops, these mines and illegal stone quarries generate tonnes of dust that pollute the environment and endanger human and animal lives. Explosives are also being used to break rocks and boulders into smaller pieces without obtaining necessary licenses and permits. Large cracks have surfaced in schools and other buildings at villages because of uncontrolled explosions.
(Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/)