JAIPUR | Nov 17, 2017: Supreme Court on Thursday restrained 82 large sand mine lease holders in the state from carrying out mining of sand and bajri in the state with immediate effect.

The court of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta in its order said, "We restrain all the 82 mining lease/quarry holders from carrying out mining of sand and bajri unless a scientific replenishment study is completed and the matter is fully and dispassionately considered by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and an environmental clearance is granted or rejected."

The apex court also directed the chief secretary to file an affidavit over the allegation that the state of Rajasthan is complicit with the miners/quarry holders and sand and bajri is being mined with impunity. The reply had to be filed within four weeks.

The apex court order followed a special leave petition (SLP) by the sand mine quarry lease holders against an adverse high court order of October 21 2013.

The court noted, "We are horrified with what is happening in the State of Rajasthan with regard to bajri and sand mining/quarrying. For several months, if not years, without any environmental clearance and without any scientific replenishment study, unabated mining is going on by 82 parties before us."

In a damning comment on the Centre and the state the court said, "It is quite obvious that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is not concerned about the degradation of the environment in Rajasthan and what is even worse is that the State of Rajasthan is totally unconcerned about it."

The apex court in an earlier had stated that river beds need to be protected against illegal mining and that rules need to be framed to regulate mining. It was also made mandatory that all licenses to excavate soft sand from river basins should be given only after a due permission is obtained from ministry of environment and forests.

(Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)