Bhopal | May 06, 2015: The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has prepared a restoration plan for the mined areas exploited by 33 stone-crushing units in Dewas district.
Counsel for the government informed the central bench of NGT, hearing a case filed by Radharani Vajpayee, that the government will need Rs 5 lakh to restore each hectare of the exploited mine area.
“The lessees and the quarry operators are required to bear 50 percent of the cost and the rest 50 percent is to be borne by the State. Pending finalisation, we direct that provisionally quarry owners and stone-crushing units shall deposit an amount of Rs 1 lakh per hectare with the registrar, NGT Central Bench, for being paid to the State,” stated an order issued by the green tribunal.
The NGT emphasised that the order was not only restricted to the stone-crushing units, but to all such parties to whom closure notices had been given by the MP State Mining Corporation and the State Pollution Control Board.
Counsel for the government has submitted details of the restoration plan to the tribunal. The government stated that it has formulated a plan to do plantation work in the exploited area of 33 quarries.
"The quarry owners and stone crushers may also submit their restoration plan," the NGT order stated.
The two-member NGT bench, comprising justice Dalip Singh and Ranjan Chatterjee as an expert member, has fixed May 7 as the next date of hearing in the case.
(Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/)